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View synonyms for

deaf

[ def ]

adjective

deafer, deafest.
  1. partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear.
  2. refusing to listen, heed, or be persuaded; unreasonable or unyielding:

    deaf to all advice.

  3. Deaf, of or relating to the Deaf or their cultural community:

    Deaf customs and values.



noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. Deaf persons collectively (usually preceded by the ):

    social services for the Deaf.

  2. Usually the Deaf. Deaf persons who identify themselves as members of a community composed of Deaf persons and others who share in their culture.

deaf

/ ɛ /

adjective

    1. partially or totally unable to hear
    2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the ) See also tone-deaf

      the deaf

  1. refusing to heed

    deaf to the cries of the hungry

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

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Pronunciation Note

Deaf is usually pronounced [def], with the vowel of left. In uneducated speech the dialectal pronunciation [deef], to rhyme with leaf, is still heard occasionally, but it is increasingly rare.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𲹴ڱ, adverb
  • ˈ𲹴ڲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 𲹴· adverb
  • 𲹴·Ա noun
  • half-deaf adjective
  • ԴDz·𲹴 adjective
  • non·𲹴· adverb
  • non·𲹴·Ա noun
  • ܲ·-𲹴 adjective
  • qua·si-𲹴· adverb
  • ··𲹴 adjective
  • sem·i·𲹴·Ա noun
  • ܲ·𲹴 adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of deaf1

First recorded before 900; Middle English deef, Old English ŧ; cognate with Middle Low German ō, Dutch doof, Old High German toub
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Word History and Origins

Origin of deaf1

Old English ŧ; related to Old Norse daufr
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with deaf , also see fall on deaf ears ; stone deaf ; turn a deaf ear .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The pain went immediately and she was no longer deaf.

From

Jodie, who is profoundly deaf and was fitted with a cochlear implant at a young age, credits their support for shaping who she is today.

From

The majority of the cast in Reunion are deaf or use BSL in their roles.

From

Then apply the law, blind and deaf — especially to politics.

From

Their response fell on deaf, spray-tanned ears as Trump went on to share an AI-generated video of his future Mediterranean resort.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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