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REFERENCE

deaf

adj. · n.
US //ˈdɛf// UK //dˈɛf// deaf
  1. 1 unable to hear (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    unable to hear anything, or unable to hear very well.

    lacking the power of hearing or having a significant hearing impairment.

    Example

    He has been deaf since birth and uses sign language to communicate.

    Example

    The clinic provides specialised support for children who are born deaf or lose their hearing in early childhood.
    • hard of hearing
  2. 2 relating to the community (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    relating to the community of people who are deaf and their culture.

    pertaining to the community, culture, and sign languages of people with hearing impairments; often capitalised as 'Deaf' in this context.

    Example

    She is a student of Deaf culture and is learning British Sign Language.

    Example

    The documentary explores the unique challenges and vibrant traditions within the Deaf community across different generations.

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  1. 3 unwilling to listen (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    refusing to listen to someone's ideas, advice, or requests.

    unwilling to be persuaded or to acknowledge a plea or argument; determinedly inattentive.

    Example

    The manager was deaf to our complaints about the broken air conditioning.

    Example

    Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the scientists, the committee remained deaf to the urgent need for environmental reform.
  2. 4 the community (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    people who cannot hear, usually referred to as 'the deaf'.

    a collective noun referring to people who have hearing impairments.

    Example

    The new law aims to provide better access to public services for the deaf.

    Example

    Advocacy groups for the deaf have campaigned for decades to ensure that television broadcasts include high-quality closed captioning.

    Usage

    Always used with the definite article 'the' to refer to the group as a whole.

Origin

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.

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