1
: relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch
2
: having or showing an obtuse insensitivity or lack of perception particularly in matters of public sentiment, opinion, or taste
The White House long ago concluded that she is aloof and politically tone-deaf …—
Michael Duffy
Michael DuffyAt the time, I wondered how such an intelligent man could be so tone-deaf to the harsh realities facing the nation …—Peniel E. Joseph
Peniel E. Joseph
tone deafness
noun
Examples of tone-deaf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fans quickly slammed the ad as tone-deaf and exploitative.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Well, not just for his karaoke performance, but for what many golf fans see as a tone-deaf response to a serious issue.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Critics, including from Dartmouth’s own student body, accused her of being tone-deaf to the concerns of artists and writers whose livelihoods are threatened by AI automation.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Price hikes are almost always unpopular, but unveiling them immediately after offending subscribers, employees, politicians, and celebrities is tone-deaf and horribly timed.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tone-deaf
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Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Well, not just for his karaoke performance, but for what many golf fans see as a tone-deaf response to a serious issue.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Critics, including from Dartmouth’s own student body, accused her of being tone-deaf to the concerns of artists and writers whose livelihoods are threatened by AI automation.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Price hikes are almost always unpopular, but unveiling them immediately after offending subscribers, employees, politicians, and celebrities is tone-deaf and horribly timed.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tone-deaf
Cite this Entry
“Tone-deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tone-deaf. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
tone-deaf
adjective
: relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch
tone deafness
noun
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