1.
to cover one's ears; to block one's ears
To physically cover or plug one's ears to block out noise.
大きな音に耳を塞いだ。
I covered my ears against the loud noise.
子どもたちは雷の音に怖がって耳を塞いだ。
The children were scared of the thunder and covered their ears.
花火の爆発音がすごくて、思わず耳を塞いだ。
The fireworks were so loud that I instinctively covered my ears.
2.
to refuse to listen; to turn a deaf ear
To deliberately ignore or refuse to hear information, criticism, or advice. A figurative use meaning to close oneself off from unwanted input.
批判に耳を塞ぐ。
To turn a deaf ear to criticism.
都合の悪い話に耳を塞いではいけない。
You must not refuse to listen to inconvenient truths.
周囲の忠告に耳を塞ぎ続けた結果、大きな失敗をした。
As a result of constantly ignoring the advice of those around him, he made a big mistake.
USAGE:
Sense 1 is the literal, physical action of covering one's ears. Sense 2 is figurative, meaning to deliberately avoid hearing something unpleasant. The figurative use is common in discussions about willful ignorance or avoidance of criticism.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 批判に耳を塞ぐ (to turn a deaf ear to criticism)
- 忠告に耳を塞ぐ (to ignore advice)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 耳を傾ける: to lend an ear, to listen — the opposite action
- 聞く耳を持たない: to refuse to listen — similar figurative meaning