deaf
Americanadjective
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partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear.
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refusing to listen, heed, or be persuaded; unreasonable or unyielding.
deaf to all advice.
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Deaf, of or relating to the Deaf or their cultural community.
Deaf customs and values.
noun
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Deaf persons collectively (usually preceded bythe ).
social services for the Deaf.
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Usually the Deaf Deaf persons who identify themselves as members of a community composed of Deaf persons and others who share in their culture.
adjective
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partially or totally unable to hear
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( as collective noun ; preceded by the ) See also tone-deaf
the deaf
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refusing to heed
deaf to the cries of the hungry
Pronunciation
Deaf is usually pronounced , with the vowel of left. In uneducated speech the dialectal pronunciation , to rhyme with leaf, is still heard occasionally, but it is increasingly rare.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deaf
First recorded before 900; Middle English deef, Old English dēaf; cognate with Middle Low German dōf, Dutch doof, Old High German toub
Explanation
If you're deaf, you can't hear or have extremely limited hearing abilities. Many people who are deaf communicate using sign language. Some people are born deaf, while others lose their hearing later in life because of illness or injury. People who have been deaf their whole lives and are actively involved with the deaf community consider deafness a "difference in experience," not a disability. When someone accuses you of being "deaf to" their argument, they mean that you are refusing to pay attention or listen. Until the 18th century, deaf was pronounced so it rhymed with beef.
Vocabulary lists containing deaf
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If you're not concerned about global warming, you must be deaf, blind altogether, right? So it is there, yes. We have to be concerned and try to do something about it," he said.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Elsewhere, the award for best drama went to ITV's Code of Silence, which starred Rose Ayling-Ellis as a deaf woman who helps police with her lip reading skills.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Ms. Nović’s trajectory from denial to pride in her identity as a member of the deaf community is moving and compelling.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Rosales, a single mother of three in San Antonio, earns $29,000 a year working for a company that provides assistance to the deaf and hard of hearing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
“Amah! Amah!” she repeated desperately, willing her to awaken, but Amah was deaf to her pleas.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
