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
Director Naoko Yamada and Kyoto Animation weave a beautifully intimate coming-of-age story of a young deaf girl and the sixth-grade bully who, years later, becomes a social outcast and tries to atone for his past cruelty.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 4 June 2025
The family has since adopted a 2.5-month-old puppy named Ellie, who is also deaf, according to a recent Facebook post.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 June 2025
Some had watched their deaf parents continually shrink back in a hearing world, accommodating prejudices in order to get by.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Ayling-Ellis and the creative team shaped this innovative approach to take the audience inside a deaf person’s mind.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
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.
Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 4 June 2025
The family has since adopted a 2.5-month-old puppy named Ellie, who is also deaf, according to a recent Facebook post.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 June 2025
Some had watched their deaf parents continually shrink back in a hearing world, accommodating prejudices in order to get by.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Ayling-Ellis and the creative team shaped this innovative approach to take the audience inside a deaf person’s mind.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 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 18 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share