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

Phrases

the deaf

sometimes offensive

: deaf people : people with total or partial hearing loss

Note: Use of the noun the deaf is sometimes offensive. Phrases that use the adjective deaf, such as "people who are deaf" or "deaf people," are often preferred. Some organizations use the deaf in their names, such as the National Association of the Deaf. Use of the deaf in such contexts is not usually regarded as offensive.

see also the usage paragraph at deaf entry 1

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

Love also teaches students who are deaf at Education Service Unit 11, which serves several schools across southern Nebraska. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Devil’s Play follows Iva (Ivanova), a troubled teenager trapped between an abusive stepfather (Stretch) and a distant, deaf mother (Tenekedjieva). —The Deadline Team, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025

Ghost, who will turn two on October 27, was born blind and deaf due to bad breeding practices, which his owners are working to raise awareness of. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

On the morning of the count, volunteers encountered a small group of deaf individuals that had already built rapport with the River Park Foundation team. —Tyler Renner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 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