tin ear
noun[Cusually singular]
informaluk/ˌtɪn ˈɪər/us/ˌtɪn ˈɪr/If someone has atinear, they are notabletoappreciate(= toenjoyand make goodjudgmentsabout)musicor the way that wordssound:
We are very different. He is awonderfulmusicianand Ihaveatinear.
Shetellsa goodstory, but has atinearforlanguage.
Manytelevisiondirectorshavetinearsand usemusicunsympathetically intheirshows, butluckilytheonesI'veworkedwith have been good.
If someone has atinear, they are not good atunderstandingpeople'sfeelingsasexpressedin what they are saying or doing:
Some London-basedjournalistsandpoliticiansaredevelopingatinearforthemoodof thegeneralpublic.
- She oftenjokesabout hertinearformusic.
- ThearticlecriticizesthePartyforitstinearwhen it comes toreachingout tominorities.
- Most of therestof theadministrationdisplayedatinearfor thepublicrage.
Inability and awkwardness
- accident-prone
- adorkable
- all thumbsidiom
- amateurish
- amateurishly
- for toffeeidiom
- fumble
- functional illiteracy
- gauche
- geek
- jack-of-all-trades
- jack-of-all-trades, master of noneidiom
- klutzy
- like a bull in a china shopidiom
- lost
- unable
- uncoordinated
- uneducable
- unenterprising
- unequal
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Musical performances
Unaware