cocktail party deafness

noun

The inability to focus one's attention on a single auditory source in a jumble of noises.

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Meanings

nouncocktail party deafness (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe inability to focus one's attention on a single auditory source in a jumble of noises.

Origin

See cocktail party effect.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

cocktail party deafness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocktail%20party%20deafness

MLA

“cocktail party deafness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocktail%20party%20deafness. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cocktail party deafness,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocktail%20party%20deafness.

Source: cocktail party deafness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.