tone-deaf
Can't match notes
Tone-deaf describes someone unable to distinguish differences in musical pitch, making it difficult to sing in tune or recognize melodies.
The figurative sense dominates contemporary usage: lacking sensitivity to nuance or social context.
A politician making jokes at a funeral is tone-deaf.
The company's response to the crisis was completely tone-deaf.
Frequency of sound
- off-keyWrong pitch, musically
- flatLacking vertical variation
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- singingVocal music-making
melody · tune · harmony · key · note · scale · discordant · unmusical
Unaware of others' emotions
- tactlessInsensitive in manner
- cluelessLacking any understanding
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- gaffeClumsy social error
inappropriate · blunder · misstep · unaware · inconsiderate · undiplomatic · gauche · obtuse
Having special advantages
- dismissiveShowing contemptuous disregard
- condescendingSuperior and dismissive manner
- elitistOne favoring the privileged
- callousCruelly insensitive to others
indifferent · detached · optics · backlash · controversy · apology · cancel · viral
Existing from birth
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- neurologicalOf the nervous system
- brainSeat of cognition
- cognitiveRelating to thinking
disorder · condition · diagnosis · inability · recognition · discrimination · deficit · innate
pitch
Frequency of sound
singing · melody · tune · harmony · key · note · scale · discordant · unmusical · interval
insensitive
Unaware of others' emotions
gaffe · inappropriate · blunder · misstep · unaware · inconsiderate · undiplomatic · gauche · obtuse · ham-fisted
privileged
Having special advantages
- dismissiveShowing contemptuous disregard
- condescendingSuperior and dismissive manner
- elitistOne favoring the privileged
callous · indifferent · detached · optics · backlash · controversy · apology · cancel · viral · ratio
congenital
Existing from birth
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- neurologicalOf the nervous system
- brainSeat of cognition
cognitive · disorder · condition · diagnosis · inability · recognition · discrimination · deficit · innate · genetic
- out of touchdisconnected, oblivious, unaware, clueless, detached
- cold-heartedcallous, cold, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, cruel
- outdatedobsolete, outdated, out of date, dated, outmoded
- bad soundsoff-key, off-pitch, pitchy, sour note, dissonant
- uncool traitsnerdiness, geekiness, awkwardness, lameness, dorkiness
tone-deafpitch-perfect
Precisely accurate in tone
perfect pitch · absolute pitch · in tune · musical · melodious
tone-deafperceptive
Quick to understand
sensitive · attuned · empathetic · tactful · in touch
monotone, monotony, intonation, intone, undertone, detonate, detonation, detonator, intoning