Definition of "tone-deafness" [tone-deafness]

• Inability to hear musical sounds. Also called amusia. (noun)

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "I submit that for all of the micro-management brilliance of Karl Rove in engineering nationwide campaigns almost precinct by precinct, there was a certain tone-deafness to the bigger yearning of the electorate at times."
• "But it's hard to imagine anything surpassing the jaw-dropping tone-deafness of CBS' cringe-com Rob premiering tonight at 8:31/7:31c, a culture-clash calamity that's about as funny as the Mexican-American War, though hardly as subtle."
• "I won't pretend to hide the fact that I'm a bit allergic to Metro's double standards regarding station location placement or to the tone-deafness of some behemoth government agencies."