listener
Americannoun
-
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.
-
someone who listens to a radio broadcast or to a specific radio program.
They attract teenage listeners with pop songs about first love.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of listener
First recorded in 1600–20; listen ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing listener
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“San Marcos” sets the scene as the first track, before handing the listener off to “De Colores.”
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
The listener is liable to feel something more than interest, for example, in Telemachus, the son of Penelope and Odysseus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
It turns out Prince William is a regular listener.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Robin doesn’t tell tall tales himself except once and when he does, you can understand why, but not why one listener in particular goes along with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
In-depth complaining is fun only when you have a sympathetic listener.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
For years, we have ended the Supreme Court term with our Slate readers and Amicus listeners imploring us: “But what can we do?”
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
"For now, I wish to be given the space to keep on broadcasting the music I love to the listeners I love even more. These are the days of our lives," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
She was known for her raspy vocals, offering listeners an edgier sound that also melded rock and pop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Some of those listeners and viewers carry on what storytellers like Miyazaki began, doing their part to beckon us to see beyond life’s troubles for a while, to find a bit more balance.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
One of his most promising songs, “Freetime,” came in at 1.3 among listeners to rock stations, and .8 among listeners to R&B stations.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
