WordNet
n. an inability to distinguish differences in pitch [syn: tin ear]
Wikipedia
Tone deafness is the lack of relative pitch, or the inability to distinguish between musical notes that is not due to the lack of musical training or education. Tone deafness is the congenital form of amusia. It is also known as tune deafness, "tin ear", dysmelodia and dysmusia.
Usage examples of "tone deafness".
Although her tone deafness had always prevented her from understanding spoken Orion, she was completely fluent in the written forms of both High and Middle Orion -- a fluency she'd acquired in no small part to follow the Khanate's military journals in their original forms.
Lord Khiniak said now, and despite her tone deafness, Murakuma thought she detected a certain sly amusement in the angle of the fang's ears and the tilt of his head as he glanced sidelong at Pederson.
She knew of his tone deafness, and he knew she knew, and she knew that he knew.
She'd tried for years to acquire at least enough mastery of Orion to understand it - as Anaasa had obviously mastered Standard English, given his lack of any earbug - but her tone deafness had defeated her.
She'd tried for years to acquire at least enough mastery of Orion to understand it -- as Anaasa had obviously mastered Standard English, given his lack of any earbug -- but her tone deafness had defeated her.
Hornblower watched Gerard anxiously during that voyage up the Nicaraguan coast, and cursed his own tone deafness which made Lady Barbara's singing not merely indifferent to him but almost painful.
In the first months of our tenure, both he and I would suffer from some of our tone deafness about Washington’.