deaf
Americanadjective
-
partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear.
-
refusing to listen, heed, or be persuaded; unreasonable or unyielding.
deaf to all advice.
-
Deaf, of or relating to the Deaf or their cultural community.
Deaf customs and values.
noun
-
Deaf persons collectively (usually preceded bythe ).
social services for the Deaf.
-
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
-
-
partially or totally unable to hear
-
( as collective noun ; preceded by the ) See also tone-deaf
the deaf
-
-
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.
Whatever gains he made at the California School for the Deaf would likely end, she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
The director, whose father is deaf, also saw this project as an opportunity to connect with the Deaf community.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
Disney Animation announced Wednesday that “Songs in Sign Language,” comprised of three musical numbers from recent Disney movies newly reimagined in American Sign Language, will debut April 27 in honor of National Deaf History Month.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
The episode has been developed in partnership with the National Deaf Children's Society and is due to come out on 9 March.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Deaf to his calm reasoning, to his sense of reality, Arcadio reproached him in public for his weakness of character.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
