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 exhibition will showcase the radical contributions of disabled, deaf and neurodivergent people and communities to design and contemporary culture, stretching from the 1940s to the present day.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The former is deaf and immigrated to the U.S. from Poland as a child.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
The exact number of deaf dogs is hard to know, mainly because of a lack of studies, but it is estimated to be relatively low at around 2.56 to 6.5 cases per 10,000 canines seen at veterinary teaching hospitals.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
For deaf and hard-of-hearing people, Apple has beefed up Live Listen by adding Live Captions support and extending it to the Apple Watch.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The former is deaf and immigrated to the U.S. from Poland as a child.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
The exact number of deaf dogs is hard to know, mainly because of a lack of studies, but it is estimated to be relatively low at around 2.56 to 6.5 cases per 10,000 canines seen at veterinary teaching hospitals.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
For deaf and hard-of-hearing people, Apple has beefed up Live Listen by adding Live Captions support and extending it to the Apple Watch.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
Cite this Entry
“Deaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaf. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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