deafness

American  

[def-nis] / ˈdɛf nɪs /

noun

1. the condition of being deaf; inability to hear.

2. unwillingness to listen.

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deafness Scientific  

/ dĕf′nĭs /

1. The lack or severe impairment of the ability to hear. Deafness is usually genetic or congenital as a result of prenatal viral infection, birth trauma, or other causes. Acquired deafness is caused mostly by drug toxicity, trauma, and certain diseases. Cochlear implants are used to treat some forms of deafness.

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Other Word Forms

• near-deafness
  noun

Example Sentences

Deafness means we have a different relationship with sound, and that difference can be extraordinarily rich.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025

When I heard that he was coming to the Center for Deafness when I was performing, I was ready to grab his attention.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2025

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2024

Deafness due to mutations in otorferlin’s gene is rare— it explains up to 8% of cases of inherited deafness—but the results offer hope for treating other genetic forms of deafness.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023

Deafness of the opposite ear was never noted.

From Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900 Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre by Makins, George Henry