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
That dream, years in the making, is complicated by Vince’s enormous debt to an impatient deaf mobster (Troy Kotsur).
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) also pops up as deaf crime boss Joe Mancuso, commanding the room without saying a word.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2025
The Deafblind Program connected the family with an adult mentor who is deaf, and could teach them to communicate using American Sign Language.
—Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The two women were part of a group of four deaf tourists who had been snapping photos near the Douro River, according to Portugese outlet Correio da Manhã.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaf
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Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) also pops up as deaf crime boss Joe Mancuso, commanding the room without saying a word.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2025
The Deafblind Program connected the family with an adult mentor who is deaf, and could teach them to communicate using American Sign Language.
—Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The two women were part of a group of four deaf tourists who had been snapping photos near the Douro River, according to Portugese outlet Correio da Manhã.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 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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