deaf

1 of 3

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 3

noun (1)

deafness

3 of 3

noun (2)

deaf·​ness ˈdef-nəs 

plural -es

: congenital or acquired lack, loss, or impairment of the sense of hearing whether due to defects in (1) the sound-transmitting mechanism, (2) the organ of Corti or auditory nerve, or (3) the interpretative centers of the brain

called also respectively 1transmission deafness, conduction deafness, conductive deafness, 2perceptive deafness, nerve deafness, 3central deafness, cortical deafness, psychic deafness

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

Assistive-listening devices and hearing loops are available for deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors, and closed captioning and on-screen American Sign Language interpretations for digital media exhibits and films are included in the museum's galleries. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 9 June 2026

My speeches, however, fell on deaf ears mostly. —Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

Noun

For people with disabilities, AI is providing higher quality and faster transcription for the deaf, image descriptions for the blind, and speech generation for those unable to communicate verbally. —Jessica Melugin, Mercury News, 10 June 2026

For Microsoft to outright claim addiction is its endgame is at best tone deaf, and at worst dangerously cynical. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 3 June 2026

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

Noun (2)

Middle English deefnesse, from deef deaf + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deaf

• fall on deaf ears
• go deaf
• struck deaf/blind
• 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