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
But prison policy has prohibited videotaping the hearings, including sign language translations that some deaf prisoners rely on to understand the proceedings.
—Don Thompson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Jess is Tara’s right-hand woman, who is deaf in one ear, following a blimp accident.
—Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
This is acute in D.C.’s deaf community, one of the largest in the nation thanks to the presence of Gallaudet University.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
This Starbucks is the first US sign language store and is located to serve a large deaf community in Washington, DC.
—CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
Eliza goes to doctors’ appointments, shops for groceries, works with a hypnotherapist over Zoom, sees friends, stays with her ex and his new girlfriend in Los Angeles, travels with her mother to Europe, and thinks about art, particularly by blind or deaf artists.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Those boys couldn't sneak up on a blind and deaf man while a band was playing.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Miller, who is deaf, communicated with police via writing and through an interpreter while being treated at St. Elizabeth Hospital shortly after the killing.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
Patrons with mobility impairments and deaf or hard of hearing patrons can request an accessibility wristband at the access center.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2024
Don Thompson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Jess is Tara’s right-hand woman, who is deaf in one ear, following a blimp accident.
—Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
This is acute in D.C.’s deaf community, one of the largest in the nation thanks to the presence of Gallaudet University.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
This Starbucks is the first US sign language store and is located to serve a large deaf community in Washington, DC.
—CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
Eliza goes to doctors’ appointments, shops for groceries, works with a hypnotherapist over Zoom, sees friends, stays with her ex and his new girlfriend in Los Angeles, travels with her mother to Europe, and thinks about art, particularly by blind or deaf artists.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Those boys couldn't sneak up on a blind and deaf man while a band was playing.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Miller, who is deaf, communicated with police via writing and through an interpreter while being treated at St. Elizabeth Hospital shortly after the killing.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
Patrons with mobility impairments and deaf or hard of hearing patrons can request an accessibility wristband at the access center.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2024
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 24 Apr. 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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