deaf

1 of 2

adjective

ˈdef 

dialectal ˈdēf

deafer; deafest

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

old-fashioned + sometimes offensive : unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded

… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.

—Washington Irving

deafish

ˈde-fish 

adjective

deafly adverb

deafness noun

Usage of Deaf

Some disability advocates recommend against the use of the word deaf before nouns such as person, woman, man, etc., because it is regarded as defining a person by their condition. Instead, they suggest using language that acknowledges the person before their condition or disability, as in "a person who is deaf" or "a person with deafness." However, many in the deaf community reject this idea, preferring phrases such as "a deaf person." Figurative uses of deaf (as in sense 2 above), and of some derivatives, compounds, and idioms that contain the word deaf, may be considered offensive in some contexts.

deaf

2 of 2

noun

see also the deaf

Examples of deaf in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Thanks to the program, the Garners learned American Sign Language (ASL) through a deaf mentor and have received additional training on how to communicate with their daughter. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025

Some 5 percent of infections result in pneumonia that can eventually turn fatal; rarely, measles can also leave children deaf or blind. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025

Fletcher suffered brain damage, as well as multiple fractures to his skull, and was left deaf in one ear after hitting a pitch-side wall during a match at Bath’s Twerton Park. —Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025

Owners can begin the desensitization training by gently touching their deaf dog—always in the same spot—then rewarding them. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English deef, from Old English dēaf; akin to Greek typhlos blind, typhein to smoke, Latin fumus smoke — more at fume

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deaf

• deaf to reason
• fall on deaf ears
• go deaf
• struck deaf/blind
• the deaf
• tone-deaf
• turn a deaf ear

Rhymes for deaf

• chef
• clef
• ref

Kids Definition

deaf

adjective

ˈdef 

1

: wholly or partly unable to hear

2

: unwilling to hear or listen

deaf to all suggestions

deafness noun

Medical Definition

deaf

adjective

ˈdef 

: 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