"A blackness to hurt listening ears” is a striking phrase from Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road," indicating a profound sense of despair and emptiness. It reflects the bleak environment in which the characters navigate, capturing the desolation of their world. The use of the term "blackness" symbolizes not only physical darkness but also emotional and spiritual void, suggesting an overwhelming silence that causes pain to those who hear it.

This imagery underscores the novel's themes of suffering and survival in a post-apocalyptic landscape. McCarthy’s writing evokes a haunting atmosphere, where the absence of sound and light creates a suffocating experience for both characters and readers. The phrase encapsulates the struggle against an unforgiving world, emphasizing the harsh realities faced by the protagonists as they search for hope in a ravaged landscape.