hearing-impaired
Americanadjective
Usage
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 .
Etymology
Origin of hearing-impaired
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
In a sense, it seeks to do for the hearing-impaired what braille does for the blind: It creates an alternative pathway to cognition.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2024
My hearing-impaired “shake-awake” alarm wakes me up by vibrating on the top of my cell’s metal lockers.
From Slate ● Dec. 14, 2023
Further ahead, c21 Theatre Company has been invited to perform as part of this year's hearing-impaired offerings at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.
From BBC ● May 4, 2023
For example, a music producer and new father is devastated upon learning that his baby is hearing-impaired in “Ava’s Story.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
Like others with disabilities, for the estimated 40,000 deaf and hearing-impaired Ukrainians, the war is particularly dangerous and difficult to navigate.
From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2022
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
