deaf
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deaf
(dĕf)adj. deaf·er, deaf·est
1. Partially or completely lacking in the sense of hearing.
2. often Deaf Of or relating to the Deaf or their culture.
3. Unwilling or refusing to listen; heedless: was deaf to our objections.
n. (used with a pl. verb)
1. Deaf people considered as a group. Used with the.
2. often Deaf The community of deaf people who use American Sign Language as a primary means of communication. Used with the.
[Middle English def, deef, from Old English dēaf.]
deaf′ly adv.
deaf′ness n.
Usage Note: The rise of the Deaf Pride movement in the 1980s introduced a distinction between deaf and Deaf, with the capitalized form used specifically in referring to deaf persons belonging to the community—also known as Deaf culture—that has formed around the use of American Sign Language as the preferred means of communication.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
deaf
(dɛf)adj
1. (Physiology)
a. partially or totally unable to hear
b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): the deaf. See also tone-deaf
2. refusing to heed: deaf to the cries of the hungry.
[Old English dēaf; related to Old Norse daufr]
ˈdeafly adv
ˈdeafness n
Usage: Referring to any group using the formula the deaf is nowadays felt to be inappropriate because it glosses over people's individuality and perpetuates stereotypes. It is preferable to use phrases such as deaf people
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
deaf
(dɛf)adj. , -er, -est,
n. adj.
1. partially or wholly deprived of the sense of hearing.
2. refusing to heed or be persuaded; unyielding: deaf to all advice.
n. 3. the deaf, deaf persons collectively.
[before 900; Middle English deef, Old English dēaf, c. Old High German toub, Old Norse dauf]
deaf′ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
deaf
If someone is deaf, they are unable to hear anything, or unable to hear very well.
She was deaf as well as short-sighted.
...a school for deaf children.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  deaf - people who have severe hearing impairments; "many of the deaf use sign language"people - (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively; "old people"; "there were at least 200 people in the audience" deaf person - a person with a severe auditory impairment |
| Verb | 1. | deaf - make or render deaf; "a deafening noise" desensitise, desensitize - cause not to be sensitive; "The war desensitized many soldiers"; "The photographic plate was desensitized" |
| Adj. | 1. | deaf - lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part hearing - able to perceive sound |
| 2. | deaf - (usually followed by `to') unwilling or refusing to pay heed; "deaf to her warnings" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
deaf
adjective
1. hard of hearing, without hearing, stone deaf, deaf as a post (informal), unhearing She is now profoundly deaf.
2. oblivious, indifferent, unmoved, unconcerned, unsympathetic, impervious, unresponsive, heedless, unhearing The assembly were deaf to all pleas for financial help.
Proverbs
"There's none so deaf as those that will not hear"
"There's none so deaf as those that will not hear"
Usage: See at disabled.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
أَصَم، أَطْرَشأَصَمّغَيْر مُسْتَعِد أن يَسْمَع
глух
sord
hluchýhluchý k
døvdøv for
surda
kuuro
gluh
süket
tuli
heyrnarlaussem daufheyrist
耳の聞こえない
귀가 들리지 않는
apkurtintikurčiaskurčnebyliskurtinantiskurtumas
kurls
głuchygłusi
gluhgluhec
döv
หูหนวก
sağırkulak asmayan
điếc
deaf
[def]A. ADJ (deafer (compar) (deafest (superl)))
B. NPL the deaf → los sordos mpl
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
deaf
[ˈdɛf] adj
npl
the deaf → les malentendants mpldeaf aid n (British) → appareil m auditifdeaf-and-dumb [ˌdɛfənˈdʌm] adj (old-fashioned) → sourd(e)-muet(te)
the deaf → les malentendants mpldeaf aid n (British) → appareil m auditifdeaf-and-dumb [ˌdɛfənˈdʌm] adj (old-fashioned) → sourd(e)-muet(te)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
deaf
adj (+er) (lit, fig) → taub; as deaf as a (door)post → stocktaub; he was deaf to her pleas → er blieb gegen alle ihre Bitten taub, er verschloss sich ihren Bitten; to turn a deaf ear to somebody/something → sich jdm/einer Sache (dat) → gegenüber taub stellen; our pleas fell on deaf ears → unsere Bitten fanden kein Gehör
n the deaf pl → die Tauben pl
deaf
:deaf aid
n → Hörgerät nt
deaf-and-dumb
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
deaf
[dɛf]1. adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) → sordo/a
deaf in one ear → sordo/a da un orecchio
to be deaf to sth (fig) → restare sordo/a a qc
to turn a deaf ear to sth → fare orecchi da mercante a qc
as deaf as a (door)post → sordo/a come una campana
deaf in one ear → sordo/a da un orecchio
to be deaf to sth (fig) → restare sordo/a a qc
to turn a deaf ear to sth → fare orecchi da mercante a qc
as deaf as a (door)post → sordo/a come una campana
2. npl the deaf → i sordi
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
deaf
(def) adjective1. unable to hear. She has been deaf since birth.
2. (with to) refusing to understand or to listen. He was deaf to all arguments.
ˈdeafness nounˈdeafen verb
to make hearing difficult; to have an unpleasant effect on the hearing. I was deafened by the noise in there!
ˈdeafening adjective very loud. the deafening roar of the engine.
ˌdeaf-ˈmute noun a person who is deaf and dumb.
fall on deaf ears (of a warning etc) to be ignored.
turn a deaf ear to deliberately to ignore. They turned a deaf ear to my advice.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
deaf
→ أَصَمّ hluchý døv taub κουφός sordo kuuro sourd gluh sordo 耳の聞こえない 귀가 들리지 않는 doof døv głuchy surdo глухой döv หูหนวก sağır điếc 耳聋的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
deaf
a. sordo-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
deaf
adj sordo; — and mute sordomudo; — person sordo -da mfEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.