adjective

tone deaf

TOHN def

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Tone deaf (adjective) means Badly out of touch with how other people feel, so that what you say or do lands as insensitive or oblivious. Example: “The tone-deaf advert was pulled within two days.”

adjective

Badly out of touch with how other people feel, so that what you say or do lands as insensitive or oblivious.

"The tone-deaf advert was pulled within two days."

"Announcing bonuses during the redundancy consultation was tone deaf."

Unable to hear or reproduce differences in musical pitch accurately.

"I'm completely tone deaf, so I mime in choir."

"Genuine tone deafness affects only a small minority of people."

How to use tone deaf

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSaying or doing something that shows you have no idea how it will make people feel.

When to use it

The figurative sense now dominates in journalism and social media. Hyphenated before a noun (a tone-deaf response) and usually open after a verb (the response was tone deaf).

Memory tip

Most people who say they are tone deaf simply sing badly; clinical tone deafness, called amusia, is rare and means you cannot perceive pitch differences at all.

Easily confused with

insensitive → tactless → tin ear

Common pairings

tone-deaf response strikingly tone deaf politically tone deaf

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “tone deaf” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Announcing bonuses during the redundancy consultation was _____.

Synonyms

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insensitive oblivious clueless out of touch unmusical amusic

Antonyms

sensitive perceptive

Related words

knowing emotional medium musical wise sensitive intelligent diplomatic

Rhymes for tone deaf

leaf deaf Greenleaf

See all rhymes for tone deaf →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tone deaf and insensitive?

Insensitive means you failed to consider someone's feelings. Tone deaf is narrower and more damning: it implies you misjudged the whole public mood, so the failure looks obvious to everyone but you. It is usually aimed at institutions, campaigns and public figures rather than private remarks.

Am I really tone deaf if I can't sing?

Almost certainly not. True tone deafness, or congenital amusia, means being unable to tell two pitches apart, and affects roughly four per cent of people. Most bad singing is a matter of untrained vocal control, which improves with practice.

Is tone deaf hyphenated?

Hyphenate it when it comes before the noun — a tone-deaf statement — and leave it open after a linking verb — the statement was tone deaf. The same rule applies to the musical sense.

What is the meaning of tone deaf?

"tone deaf" (adjective) means badly out of touch with how other people feel, so that what you say or do lands as insensitive or oblivious.

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knowing emotional medium musical wise sensitive intelligent diplomatic