listener
Americannoun
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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.
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.
How important is it to you that the listener grasps everything that’s going on in your music?
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
Leo is more of a listener and, in his speeches, he has focused on social priorities like the fight against poverty and repeated warnings over the risks of artificial intelligence.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
This could include having linked social accounts on their artist profile, consistent listener activity or other "signals of a real artist behind the profile," the company said, such as merchandise or concert dates.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
This point is underscored in the lawsuit itself, which shows any listener confusion was temporary.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
Right away, the script had to reveal where the story was happening and who the characters were, providing enough details for the listener to form a mental picture.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
