preached to deaf ears

A form of preach to deaf ears — To attempt to persuade a party that does not wish to listen or cannot be altered in its conviction.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of preach to deaf ears
Cite this entry
APA

preached to deaf ears. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preached%20to%20deaf%20ears

MLA

“preached to deaf ears.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preached%20to%20deaf%20ears. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preached to deaf ears,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preached%20to%20deaf%20ears.

Source: preached to deaf ears on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.