turn a deaf ear

/tˈɜːn ɐ dˈɛf ˈiə/

/tˈɜːn ɐ dˈɛf ˈɪɹ/

[phrase]

to turn a deaf ear

[PHRASE]

to pretend as if one is cannot hear someone complaining or asking one something

Examples

1. When I ask him to pay me back, he turns a deaf ear.

2. In the past they've tended to turn a deaf ear to such requests.

3. The factory owners turned a deaf ear to the demands of the workers.

4. I do have to point out though, that when ethnic Romanians in Transylvania petitioned for political power alongside that of the minority Hungarian population there, he turned a deaf ear to them.