From Middle English deef, from Old English dēaf, from Proto-West Germanic *daub, from Proto-Germanic *daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-.

• IPA: /dɛf/
• (dated, regional US and England) IPA: /diːf/

deaf (comparative deafer, superlative deafest)

1. Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.

   My brother has been deaf since sustaining injuries in the war.

   It's important for TV shows to provide closed captioning for the deaf.

   • 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii]:

     Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf.

   • 1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC ↗, Act I, scene ii, page 6 ↗:

     Deaf vvith the noyſe I took my haſty flight.

2. Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.

   Those people are deaf to reason.

   • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii]:

     O, that men's ears should be / To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!

3. Of or relating to the community of deaf people.
   • 1994, Bruce N. Snider, Carol Erting, Robert C. Johnson, The Deaf Way, page 734:

     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.

4. (obsolete) Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
   • 1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid's Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:

     A deaf murmur through the squadron went.

5. (obsolete, UK, dialect) Decayed; tasteless; dead.

   a deaf nut; deaf corn

   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “(please specify |book=I to XXXVII)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC ↗:

     If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deafe, void, light, and naught.

• hard of hearing
• hearing-impaired

• French: sourd
• German: taub, gehörlos
• Italian: sordo
• Portuguese: surdo, mouco
• Russian: глухо́й
• Spanish: sordo

• French: les sourds
• German: Gehörlosen, rare: Tauben
• Italian: sordi, non udenti
• Portuguese: surdos
• Russian: глухой
• Spanish: sordos, sordas

deaf (plural deafs)

1. (nonstandard, rare) A deaf person.

deaf (deafs, present participle deafing; simple past and past participle deafed)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To deafen.
   • 1681, John Dryden, “Canace to Macareus”, in Ovid, Ovid's Epistles, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC ↗, page 13 ↗:

     Swift as a Whirl-wind to the Nurſe he flies; / And deafs his ſtormy Subjects with his cries.

From deaf.

• IPA: /dɛf/

deaf (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf users of sign languages.