What does "deaf" mean?
A deaf person.
Deaf
/dɛf/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A deaf person.
- Grammar: deaf is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: apathetic, authoritarian, bigot, bigoted.
- Useful contrasts: hearing, attentive, audile.
- Usage evidence: It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How to use "deaf"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "deaf" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "deaf" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "deaf" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "deaf" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "deaf" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "apathetic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "deaf", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A deaf person. nonstandard, rare
"Among the second group of philanthropic educational institutions the institutes for the deafs and dumbs must be mentioned."
- 2 people who have severe hearing impairments wordnet
Verb
- 1 To deafen. obsolete, transitive
"It is enough, my hearing shall be punish'd With what shall happen, -- 'gainst the which there is No deafing -- but to hear, not taint mine eye With dread sights that it may shun."
- 2 make or render deaf wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Unable (or partially able) to hear.
"My brother has been deaf since sustaining injuries in the war."
- 2 Of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf users of sign languages. not-comparable
"Today, sign languages are the means of communication and interaction in Deaf communities around the world and have been shown to contain all the linguistic complexities and potentials of spoken languages (Stokoe, 1960/2005)."
- 3 Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive.
"Those people are deaf to reason."
- 4 Of or relating to the community of deaf people.
"The best place to fight Hollywood deafism is in our deaf schools. If we give our children understanding and appreciation of our rich culture and sign language, the students will gain a deaf heritage and become more creative, more aware, and more assertive global deaf citizens."
- 5 Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened. obsolete
"A deaf murmur through the squadron went."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Decayed; tasteless; useless. UK, dialectal, obsolete
"a deaf nut; deaf corn"
Adjective
- 1 lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part wordnet
- 2 (usually followed by ‘to’) unwilling or refusing to pay heed wordnet
Example
"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "deaf"?
Common synonyms include: apathetic, authoritarian, bigot, bigoted, blind, borne.
How do you use "deaf" in a sentence?
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How do you pronounce "deaf"?
Pronounced /dɛf/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English def, deef, from Old English dēaf, from Proto-West Germanic *daub, from Proto-Germanic *daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, smoke, darken, obscure”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τυφλός (tuphlós, “blind”). See also dumb. Doublet of daff, dof, and dowf.
Etymology 2
From deaf.