deaf as a post

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseinformal

   Very hard of hearing; unable to hear well at all.

   Grammar: Used after linking verbs such as be, seem, or go, and it describes a person: 'She's deaf as a post.'

   Patterns

   • be deaf as a post
   • go deaf as a post
   • someone is as deaf as a post

   Speak up when you talk to Uncle Ray — he's deaf as a post.

   After years of working beside loud machines, she was deaf as a post.

   My grandfather is deaf as a post, so we write things down for him.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseinformalfigurative

   Unwilling to listen or pay attention to what someone says.

   Grammar: Used figuratively after be, often with to: 'deaf as a post to our warnings.'

   Patterns

   • be deaf as a post to something
   • deaf as a post to advice

   The manager was deaf as a post to every complaint we made.

   He's deaf as a post when it comes to other people's advice.

Common combinations

be deaf as a post

You'll have to shout — my dad is deaf as a post.

go deaf as a post

He went deaf as a post after the accident.

deaf as a post to something

The committee was deaf as a post to our requests.

as deaf as a post

She's as deaf as a post without her hearing aid.

Synonyms and how they differ

hard of hearing

This is the neutral, polite term used in everyday and medical settings, while 'deaf as a post' is informal and can sound blunt.

stone deaf

Very similar in meaning and also informal, but it usually suggests a more complete loss of hearing than 'deaf as a post'.

Opposites

Word family

deafness noun

the condition of being unable to hear

deaf adjective

unable to hear, either partly or completely

deafen verb

to make someone unable to hear, often with a loud noise

deafening adjective

so loud that you can hardly hear anything else

Commonly confused: deaf as a post or deaf as a doorpost?

Practice

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