1
: having total or partial hearing loss
deaf people
the deaf community
also
: of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss
deaf culture
deaf education
2
: unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded
… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.—
Washington Irving
Washington IrvingExamples of deaf in a Sentence
He has been deaf since birth.
She's completely deaf in her right ear.
He's going a little deaf so you'll have to speak up.
Recent Examples on the Web
The reference to the band's 1969 rock opera — about the fictitious Tommy Walker, who is deaf, nonverbal, and blind — earned a laugh from the crowd.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Three Phoenix police officers will receive 24-hour, unpaid suspensions, and two of them must undergo more training, after the arrest of a deaf man who has cerebral palsy last year, the police chief said Wednesday.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Which is why Gutekunst would be wise to turn a deaf ear to all the noise.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Children who were blind, deaf, and had Down syndrome weren’t given access to classrooms.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
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Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Three Phoenix police officers will receive 24-hour, unpaid suspensions, and two of them must undergo more training, after the arrest of a deaf man who has cerebral palsy last year, the police chief said Wednesday.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Which is why Gutekunst would be wise to turn a deaf ear to all the noise.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Children who were blind, deaf, and had Down syndrome weren’t given access to classrooms.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
Cite this Entry
“Deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaf. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deaf
adjective1
: wholly or partly unable to hear
2
: unwilling to hear or listen
deaf to all suggestions
deafness
noun
Medical Definition
deaf
adjective
: having total or partial hearing loss
deaf adults
also
: of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss
deaf education
deafness
noun
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