tin ear

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See synonyms for tin ear on Thesaurus.com

noun

an insensitivity to melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic variety in music.

an insensitivity to subtlety or appropriateness in verbal expression: a tin ear for clear, precise prose.

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ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Origin of tin ear

First recorded in 1915–20

Words nearby tin ear

tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea imbricata, tinea kerion, tinea pedis, tin ear, tinea sycosis, tinea unguium, tinea versicolor, tineid, Tinel's sign

How to use tin ear in a sentence

“Jeffrey wanted me to tell you that you looked so pretty,” the female voice said into my disbelieving ear.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The line right before this is “With little tin horns and little toy drums.”
The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an act of corporal punishment that we at the Daily Beast do not condone, Joseph grabbed Him by the ear and “pulled hard.”
Was Baby Jesus A Holy Terror?|Candida Moss|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And in his view, they may be good at policy but have “a deaf ear when it comes to politics.”
How Will Cuba Play In Peoria?|Eleanor Clift|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The raw materials— tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold—were dubbed “conflict minerals.”
Aaron Rodgers Takes Aim at Congo’s ‘Blood Minerals’ War|John Prendergast|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When we were mounted Mac leaned over and muttered an admonitory word for Piegan's ear alone.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
What the ear hears is the fundamental pitch only; the overtones harmonize with the primary or fundamental tone, and enrich it.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The worst loss is that of Winston's ear; high principles won't obtain high explosives.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
He looked up, half shutting his one funny eye, and cocking one ear up, and letting the other droop down.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
Motionless she stood, straining eye and ear; she could hear nothing, but the gestures told much.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson