hard of hearing

adjective

: relating to or having partial hearing loss
people who are hard of hearing
the deaf and hard of hearing community
… the task force … will ask the Nebraska Department of Education to hire a national consulting firm with expertise in the area of deaf and hard of hearing education to analyze Nebraska's system.Margaret Reist

Examples of hard of hearing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The National Deaf Center says that the 2021 American Community Survey estimates about 3.6% of the U.S. population, or about 11 million individuals, are deaf or hard of hearing. Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Aug. 2025 Since 2022, the federal government has invested some $1.5 billion in the 988 project, including expanding access to services for Spanish speakers, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing by creating sub-lifelines or sub-networks for those groups. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 18 June 2025 When a child is born deaf or hard of hearing, their access to and understanding of language can be severely limited during these crucial years, causing lifelong consequences. Alan Schwarz, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Flashing lights and other visual cues are also useful indicators that may grab the attention of those who are hard of hearing. Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hard of hearing

Word History

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard of hearing was in 1564

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Cite this Entry

“Hard of hearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20of%20hearing. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

hard-of-hearing

adjective
ˌhärd-ə(v)-ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ
: relating to or having a faulty but functional sense of hearing

Medical Definition

hard of hearing

adjective
hard of hear·​ing
ˌhärd-ə(v)-ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ
: relating to or having partial hearing loss
adults who are hard of hearing
the deaf and hard of hearing community
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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