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
: unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded
… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.—
Washington Irving
Washington IrvingExamples of deaf in a Sentence
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
The other senator has virtually turned a deaf ear to her own constituents — even her own campaign committee — asking to not be further pestered with requests to support MAiD legislation, even as Minnesotans consistently and reliably poll at 75% support for the law.
—Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 2 June 2024
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 800-273-8255.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024
After a spine injury and further damage to her hearing, Ederle worked as a swim instructor for deaf children.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 1 June 2024
Related: After gene therapy, two congenitally deaf children hear for the first time
There is a misconception that enabling captioning might violate the privacy clauses of HIPAA if the platform stores the captions.
—Zina Jawadi, Alex Chern, STAT, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for deaf 
Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 2 June 2024
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 800-273-8255.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024
After a spine injury and further damage to her hearing, Ederle worked as a swim instructor for deaf children.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 1 June 2024
Related: After gene therapy, two congenitally deaf children hear for the first time
There is a misconception that enabling captioning might violate the privacy clauses of HIPAA if the platform stores the captions.
—Zina Jawadi, Alex Chern, STAT, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for deaf
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deaf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deaf
Cite this Entry
“Deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaf. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deaf
adjective1
: wholly or partly unable to hear
2
: unwilling to hear or listen
deaf to all suggestions
deafness
noun
Medical Definition
deaf
adjective
: 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
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