listener

[lis-uh-ner]

noun

1. someone who gives attention with the ear, especially for the purpose of hearing specific sounds, speech, instructions, etc..

   At story time, you may choose to be a reader or a listener.

2. someone who listens to a radio broadcast or to a specific radio program.

   They attract teenage listeners with pop songs about first love.

Word History and Origins

Origin of listener¹

First recorded in 1600–20; listen ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Another early standout for listeners was “Ruin the Friendship,” a tale of regret over not making a move on a best friend during high school.

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My guess is that parts of “11,000 Strings” struck some listeners as deafening.

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Its anti-misogyny message—the refrain exhorts listeners to “think about it / do something about it”—was important to the couple.

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Older artists appear on the charts too, but listeners of John Fogerty probably aren’t digital natives buying discs for the fun of it.

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For seven years, she has built a following of listeners known as the Daddy Gang via a podcast that averages around 10 million listeners per episode, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

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Related Words

• audience