tin ear

noun

: a deafened or insensitive ear

Examples of tin ear in a Sentence

My wife is a talented musician, but I have a tin ear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Simone, with her tin ear for caste, doesn’t understand Gigi’s station. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024 Beijing’s tin ear results from Chinese officials and diplomats living in their own propaganda bubbles and echo chambers, unattuned to how China is viewed in the region. — David Shambaugh, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tin ear was in 1935

Rhymes for tin ear

See All Rhymes for tin ear

Browse Nearby Words

tin ear
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Cite this Entry

“Tin ear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin%20ear. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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