hearing-impaired

[ heer-ing-im-paird ]
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adjective, noun
  1. Usually Offensive. hard of hearing.

Origin of hearing-impaired

1
First recorded in 1945–50

usage note For hearing-impaired

Hearing-impaired is perceived as an offensive term within the Deaf community because the word impaired implies damage, and it focuses on what the person cannot do. When referring to people with hearing loss, the preferred term is hard of hearing .

Words Nearby hearing-impaired

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024