1
: having total or partial hearing loss
deaf people
the deaf community
also
: of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss
deaf culture
deaf education
2
: unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded
… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.—
Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Examples of deaf in a Sentence
He has been deaf since birth.
She's completely deaf in her right ear.
He's going a little deaf so you'll have to speak up.
Recent Examples on the Web
As a deaf person who wears bilateral cochlear implants, the issue of accessibility has been close to her heart for a long time.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Among them was studying American Sign Language, which Miles uses to communicate with street artist Hailey Cooper in the game, which has been praised for its deaf representation.
—Theo Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
But for the two deaf hikers overlooking the skyline from a hilltop, who exist in a reality where some of that stimuli don’t directly affect their engagement with the city, their focus is on a raging fire nearby.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The 25-year-old truck company owner from Omak, Wash., outlasted Matt Klotz, 27, a Deaflympics swimmer and the first deaf contestant on the show, and Bowie Jane Ball, a 46-year-old Australian DJ and barrister, to cash in on the $750,000 prize.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Echo is the first Marvel project to feature a deaf protagonist and the first series to air all five episodes at once.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Any notion espousing that people of color, women, and gender-nonbinary communities having no authority within the rock genre — after these communities created the very genre — is not merely tone deaf, but categorically false.
—Laronda Davis, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023
Her parents, Wolf and Esther, would be deaf mutes working in the field.
—Nick Watt, CNN, 22 Oct. 2023
Gene therapy has worked in experiments with deaf mice that lack the otoferlin protein.
—WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023
See More
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Among them was studying American Sign Language, which Miles uses to communicate with street artist Hailey Cooper in the game, which has been praised for its deaf representation.
—Theo Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
But for the two deaf hikers overlooking the skyline from a hilltop, who exist in a reality where some of that stimuli don’t directly affect their engagement with the city, their focus is on a raging fire nearby.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The 25-year-old truck company owner from Omak, Wash., outlasted Matt Klotz, 27, a Deaflympics swimmer and the first deaf contestant on the show, and Bowie Jane Ball, a 46-year-old Australian DJ and barrister, to cash in on the $750,000 prize.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Echo is the first Marvel project to feature a deaf protagonist and the first series to air all five episodes at once.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Any notion espousing that people of color, women, and gender-nonbinary communities having no authority within the rock genre — after these communities created the very genre — is not merely tone deaf, but categorically false.
—Laronda Davis, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023
Her parents, Wolf and Esther, would be deaf mutes working in the field.
—Nick Watt, CNN, 22 Oct. 2023
Gene therapy has worked in experiments with deaf mice that lack the otoferlin protein.
—WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deaf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing deaf
Dictionary Entries Near deaf
Cite this Entry
“Deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaf. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
deaf
adjective1
: wholly or partly unable to hear
2
: unwilling to hear or listen
deaf to all suggestions
deafness
noun
Medical Definition
deaf
adjective
: having total or partial hearing loss
deaf adults
also
: of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss
deaf education
deafness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on deaf
Nglish: Translation of deaf for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of deaf for Arabic Speakers
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