hard-of-hearing
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a hearing loss: Describes a person who has a partial, but not complete, loss of the ability to hear. It is a formal or polite term for someone who is not fully deaf but has significant difficulty hearing.
Usage
- This term is used as an adjective to describe a person's condition. It is considered more respectful and descriptive than some older or more colloquial terms.
- It is typically used before a noun (e.g., a hard-of-hearing person) or after a linking verb like "is" or "are" (e.g., He is hard of hearing).
Examples
- Adjective:
- The museum offers special tours for hard-of-hearing visitors.
- My grandfather is hard of hearing, so we speak clearly and face him when we talk.
- Accommodations like hearing loops are essential in public spaces for the hard-of-hearing community.
Advanced Usage
- "Hard of hearing" as a compound adjective: While it functions as a single descriptive term, it is traditionally written with hyphens when it precedes a noun (e.g., a hard-of-hearing child) and often without hyphens when it follows a verb (e.g., The child is hard of hearing). Modern usage sometimes omits the hyphens in all cases.
- Used in formal and legal contexts: This term is standard in medical, educational, and legal documents to describe a specific level of hearing impairment.
Variants and Related Words
- Hearing-impaired (adj.): A broader, more clinical term that can encompass the full range of hearing loss, from mild to profound. Some people in the Deaf community prefer "hard of hearing" or "Deaf" over "hearing-impaired."
- Deaf (adj.): Describes a person with little to no functional hearing. The capitalized "Deaf" often refers to cultural and community identity, not just the audiological condition.
- Hearing loss (n.): The general condition of having diminished hearing ability.
Synonyms
- Hearing-impaired: Having a reduced or deficient sense of hearing.
- Partially deaf: Having some, but not total, deafness.
Antonyms
- Hearing: Having the faculty of perceiving sound.
- Fully hearing: Having normal auditory function.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Turn a deaf ear: To ignore or refuse to listen to something. (Note: This idiom is not a direct synonym and can be considered insensitive if used in the context of actual hearing loss.)
- The manager turned a deaf ear to our complaints.
Adjective
-
having a hearing loss
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