Meaning
Unable (or partially able) to hear.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English def, deef, from Old English dēaf, from Proto-West Germanic *daub (“deaf”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf or stunned”), 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. Cognate with Dutch doof, German taub, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål døv, Norwegian Nynorsk dauv, Swedish döv, Faroese deyvur, Icelandic daufur.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
hard of hearinghearing-impaireddeafenindifferentauthoritarianbigotedblindbullheadedclosedconstricted
Antonyms
hearing
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles: