hard of hearing

American  

[hahrd-uhv-heer-ing] / ˈhɑrd əvˈhɪər ɪŋ /

Or hard-of-hearing

adjective

1. having reduced or deficient hearing ability; having mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss.

   We provide amplified phones for those who are hard of hearing so that they can communicate with friends and family.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. people who have reduced or deficient hearing ability.

   Besides being an aid for the hard of hearing, subtitles improve comprehension for viewers learning a different language.

hard of hearing British  

adjective

1. 1. deaf or partly deaf

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the hard of hearing

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hard of hearing Idioms  

1. Somewhat deaf, having a partial loss of hearing. For example, You'll have to speak distinctly; Dad's a little hard of hearing. The use of hard in the sense of “difficulty in doing something” survives only in this expression. [Mid-1500s]

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Etymology

Origin of hard of hearing

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

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

Speech-to-text programs are becoming more popular for everyday tasks like hands-free dictation, helping people who are visually impaired, and transcribing speech for those who are hard of hearing.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

Mr Osei also criticised Ms Pokua for saying that Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, who is in his 70s, was hard of hearing.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2024

In 2021, Senegal’s football team for deaf and hard of hearing players won the first African football championship for such teams and played in the world championship, to the congratulations of Senegal’s president.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2024

Maybe because "hard of hearing" is more like hospital talk, which was probably rubbing off on her.

From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds