1
: relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch
2
: having or showing an obtuse insensitivity or lack of perception particularly in matters of public sentiment, opinion, or taste
The White House long ago concluded that she is aloof and politically tone-deaf …—
Michael Duffy
Michael DuffyAt the time, I wondered how such an intelligent man could be so tone-deaf to the harsh realities facing the nation …—Peniel E. Joseph
Peniel E. Joseph
tone deafness
noun
Examples of tone-deaf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, King hit back at critics earlier Tuesday in another tone-deaf way, according to the Daily Beast.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
But the Liberals under Mr. Trudeau became tone-deaf after the pandemic and amid inflation and the housing crisis that have ensnared regular Canadians.
—Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Nothing will alter The Electric State’s disorienting, tone-deaf incompetence.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
The fact that an algorithm could produce such a tone-deaf interpretation of history underscored the limitations of current AI systems, particularly when dealing with sensitive or complex topics.
—Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tone-deaf
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Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
But the Liberals under Mr. Trudeau became tone-deaf after the pandemic and amid inflation and the housing crisis that have ensnared regular Canadians.
—Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Nothing will alter The Electric State’s disorienting, tone-deaf incompetence.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
The fact that an algorithm could produce such a tone-deaf interpretation of history underscored the limitations of current AI systems, particularly when dealing with sensitive or complex topics.
—Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tone-deaf
Cite this Entry
“Tone-deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tone-deaf. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
tone-deaf
adjective
: relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch
tone deafness
noun
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