deaf as a post
Definition
- Adjective:
- Completely deaf; unable to hear anything: This idiom describes a state of total deafness, implying an absolute inability to perceive sound.
Usage
- This phrase is an informal, idiomatic expression used to emphasize that someone cannot hear at all. It is often used hyperbolically to describe someone who is not paying attention or is ignoring what is being said, as well as to describe genuine profound deafness.
Examples
- Adjective:
- After the explosion near his ear, he was deaf as a post for several days.
- You can shout all you want, but he won't hear you—he's deaf as a post without his hearing aids.
- I called her name three times, but she was deaf as a post, completely absorbed in her book.
Advanced Usage
- Hyperbolic Use: Often used not for medical diagnosis but to criticize someone for not listening or paying attention.
- I've told him a hundred times to clean his room, but he's deaf as a post!
- Comparative Structure: The phrase "as a post" is a simile. A post (like a fence post) is used as a standard of comparison because it is an inanimate object utterly incapable of hearing.
Variants and Related Words
- Stone-deaf (adj): An informal synonym meaning completely deaf.
- The old miner was stone-deaf from years of working without ear protection.
- Profoundly deaf (adj): A more formal, clinical term for having little to no functional hearing.
- Deafening (adj): Extremely loud, often used to describe noise so loud it causes temporary deafness.
Synonyms
- Completely deaf
- Unable to hear a thing
- Hard of hearing (Note: This is generally less severe, meaning partial hearing loss)
Related Idioms
- Turn a deaf ear: To ignore or refuse to listen to something.
- The government turned a deaf ear to the protesters' demands.
- Fall on deaf ears: To be ignored or unheeded (used for requests, advice, etc.).
- My warnings about the risks fell on deaf ears.
Adjective
-
totally deaf; unable to hear anything
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