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 IrvingExamples 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
Signs for Change, which featured a number of deaf people in behind-camera roles, or the BAFTA-winning Black Ops.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024
Related article In a city cut off from the world, guns and drugs keep flowing
Last week, a gang raided a boarding school for deaf children, the Institut Monfort, in the western outskirts of the capital.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Immune to the fact it could currently be conceived as tone deaf to share pictures of the spoils of one’s gym routines are, of course, the Kardashians, who might spontaneously combust without sharing a flash of torso every now and again.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2024
Another witness told police that King, who is deaf, was seen communicating in sign language with Steigelman prior to the stabbing.
—Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deaf 
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024
Related article In a city cut off from the world, guns and drugs keep flowing
Last week, a gang raided a boarding school for deaf children, the Institut Monfort, in the western outskirts of the capital.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Immune to the fact it could currently be conceived as tone deaf to share pictures of the spoils of one’s gym routines are, of course, the Kardashians, who might spontaneously combust without sharing a flash of torso every now and again.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2024
Another witness told police that King, who is deaf, was seen communicating in sign language with Steigelman prior to the stabbing.
—Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deaf
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.
Dictionary Entries Near deaf
Cite this Entry
“Deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaf. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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