to deaf
- verb
- /dɛf/
- Are you trying to deafen us all?
- deafen the ears
Examples
-
So you don't deafen yourself?
Fiction book (1996) -
The bells, they deafen me.
-
All of you, deafen yourselves to their heartless words.
-
It can deafen us.
-
The loud music from the concert was so intense that it could deafen anyone nearby.
-
He covered his ears to avoid the sound that would deafen him for days.
-
The explosion was so powerful that it might deafen people who were too close.
Synonyms
Make someone unable to hear because of a very loud sound
Idioms
Compounds
- Archaic
A small electronic device worn in or behind the ear that makes sounds louder for people who cannot hear well
How Loud
- Literature
Surface Forms
Etymology
Deaf as a verb is made from the adjective deaf plus the ending -en and means 'to make not able to hear'. So a very loud noise can deaf (or deafen) a person by damaging their hearing.