hard of hearing

This phrase is a polite, descriptive euphemism used to describe someone with hearing loss. It is generally preferred over more blunt or clinical terms in social settings because it focuses on the experience of the difficulty rather than labeling the person as disabled or deaf.

Because it functions as a compound adjective, it is typically used as a predicative adjective following a linking verb, such as "to be" or "to become." It is rarely used as an attributive adjective directly before a noun (e.g., one would say "the man is hard of hearing" rather than "the hard of hearing man").