preach to deaf ears
To attempt to persuade a party that does not wish to listen or cannot be altered in its conviction.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My advice to him was preaching to deaf ears.”
“I tried to explain the dangers of his new plan, but I was clearly preaching to deaf ears.”
“Despite her eloquent arguments for reform, the politician realized she was preaching to deaf ears among the stubborn committee members who refused to change their minds.”
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all ears
Listening intently; fully focused.
- 02
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 03
are you deaf
A rhetorical question asked to confront a nondeaf interlocutor who has failed to hear something.
- 04
are your ears burning
Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
- 05
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 06
believe one's ears
To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.
- 07
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 08
box someone's ears
To slap someone on the side of the head, usually as an informal punishment.
Last updated August 10, 2026