fall on deaf ears

phrase

sometimes offensive

: to fail to be heard : to be ignored

Her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears.

see usage paragraph at deaf entry 1

Examples of fall on deaf ears in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Their analytical explanations that the rainfall is an anomaly and doesn’t eradicate the long-term problem mostly fall on deaf ears. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026

Trump’s blame game, already falling on deaf ears, is about to be out of convenient targets. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026

After watching an 11-0 start to the season turn into an 11-2 finish ending with losses to bitter rival Texas and a first-round exit in the College Football Playoff without scoring a touchdown, any feel-good talk may fall on deaf ears for Texas A&M football fans. — Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 24 Dec. 2025

Under the Biden administration, calls for Mexico to comply fell on deaf ears, and systemic water shortages forced Texas’s last sugar mill to close, The Center Square reported. — Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fall on deaf ears

• charioteers
• milliamperes
• adheres
• amirs
• appears
• arrears
• careers
• cashiers
• compeers
• frontiers
• inheres
• premieres