hard of hearing

or hard-of-hear·ing

[ hahrd-uhv-heer-ing ]
See synonyms for hard of hearing on Thesaurus.com
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.

nounUsually the hard of hearing .(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.

Origin of hard of hearing

1
First recorded in 1555–65

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

How to use hard of hearing in a sentence

  • The aim of the method is to graduate its pupils as hard-of-hearing speaking people, instead of deaf-mutes.

    The Deaf | Harry Best

British Dictionary definitions for hard of hearing

hard of hearing

adjective
    • deaf or partly deaf

    • (as collective noun; preceded by the): the hard of hearing

hard of hearing

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hard of hearing

hard of hearing

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]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.