deaf

deaf
deaf W3 /def/ adjective1. physically unable to hear anything or unable to hear well ⇨ hearing impaired:
    communication between deaf and hearing people
    I think Mum’s going a bit deaf.
    She’s deaf and dumb (=unable to hear or speak) and communicates using sign language.
    Tom was born profoundly deaf (=having great difficulty hearing).
    stone deaf/deaf as a post informal (=completely deaf) ⇨ hard of hearing, tone-deaf
2. the deaf [plural] people who are deaf:
    a school for the deaf
3. be deaf to something literary to be unwilling to hear or listen to something:
    She was deaf to his pleas.
4. turn a deaf ear (to something) to be unwilling to listen to what someone is saying or asking:
    The factory owners turned a deaf ear to the demands of the workers.
5. fall on deaf ears if advice or a warning falls on deaf ears, everyone ignores it
—deafness noun [uncountable]
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ go deaf (=become deaf) By the time he was 50 he had begun to go deaf.
   ▪ be born deaf If the mother gets the disease, her baby may be born deaf.
   ▪ leave somebody deaf (=cause someone to become deaf) A blow on the head left him permanently deaf.
■ adverbs
   ▪ totally deaf (=completely deaf) He was totally deaf, and unable to walk.
   ▪ partially deaf (=partly deaf) Most children who are partially deaf can be taught in normal schools.
   ▪ stone deaf informal (=completely deaf) She must be stone deaf if she didn’t hear all that noise!
   ▪ profoundly deaf technical (=completely deaf) Many profoundly deaf children have great difficulty in learning to read.
■ phrases
   ▪ as deaf as a post informal (=completely deaf) He won’t hear you - he’s as deaf as a post.
   ▪ deaf in one ear The illness left her deaf in one ear.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ deaf adjective physically unable to hear anything, or unable to hear well: Deaf people use sign language to communicate.
   ▪ be hard of hearing to have difficulty hearing things, for example because you are old: You’ll have to speak up – she’s a bit hard of hearing. | subtitles for the hard of hearing
   ▪ hearing-impaired formal adjective having a permanent physical condition which makes it difficult for you to hear things: Not all hearing-impaired people are completely deaf.