hearing loss: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
High in medical/health contexts; Medium in general use.Formal to neutral; standard in medical, academic, and everyday discourse.
Quick answer
What does “hearing loss” mean?
A partial or total inability to hear.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A partial or total inability to hear.
A medical condition resulting in reduced sensitivity to sound; often categorized by degree (mild, moderate, severe, profound) and type (conductive, sensorineural, mixed).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling of related terms may differ (e.g., 'paediatric hearing loss' UK vs. 'pediatric hearing loss' US).
Connotations
Neutral medical term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US medical and general contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “hearing loss” in a Sentence
[Patient] has/hears with/suffers from hearing loss.[Cause] results in/leads to/causes hearing loss.Hearing loss in [Patient] is [adjective].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hearing loss” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The disease can cause one to lose their hearing.
- He is losing his hearing gradually.
American English
- The infection caused her to lose hearing in one ear.
- He's losing his hearing from years of loud machinery.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The hearing-loss clinic offers specialist support.
- He attended a hearing-loss assessment.
American English
- The hearing-loss center provides audiology services.
- She joined a hearing-loss support group.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In workplace health & safety regulations regarding noise exposure.
Academic
In audiology, otolaryngology, public health, and disability studies research.
Everyday
Discussing health conditions of oneself, family, or friends.
Technical
Specifying type (conductive/sensorineural), degree (dB loss), and etiology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hearing loss”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hearing loss”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hearing loss”
- Using uncountable incorrectly (e.g., 'He has hearing loss' is fine, but 'He has a significant hearing loss' is also correct). Confusing 'hearing loss' (condition) with 'hard of hearing' (descriptive state).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Hearing loss' is a spectrum ranging from mild difficulty hearing soft sounds to profound deafness. 'Deafness' usually refers to the severe or profound end of that spectrum.
Yes. Some types, like conductive hearing loss from earwax blockage or an ear infection, can be temporary and treatable. Sensorineural hearing loss is often permanent.
They are largely synonymous in medical contexts. 'Hearing impairment' is sometimes preferred in formal or disability policy contexts as it focuses on the functional limitation. 'Hearing loss' is more common in everyday and clinical language.
Yes, but it's less common. The plural form is used when referring to multiple distinct instances or types, often in technical or statistical contexts (e.g., 'The study compared noise-induced hearing losses in two populations').
A partial or total inability to hear.
Hearing loss is usually formal to neutral; standard in medical, academic, and everyday discourse. in register.
Hearing loss: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɪərɪŋ lɒs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɪrɪŋ lɔːs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Turn a deaf ear (idiom for ignoring, not a direct synonym)”
- “Fall on deaf ears”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Hearing Loss = HEAR + LOSS; imagine losing the ability to 'hear' sounds.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEARING IS A SENSORY CAPITAL/ASSET that can be diminished or lost.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical collocation with 'hearing loss'?