listener

noun

lis·​ten·​er ˈli-sᵊn-ər 

ˈlis-nər

plural listeners

: one who listens to someone or something

a radio program with many listeners

a friend who's a good listener [=who listens attentively and sympathetically]

Fanny, being always a very courteous listener, and often the only listener at hand, came in for the complaints and distresses of most of them.

—Jane Austen

The average concertgoer drifts in and out of the music, often losing the thread. The listener can't always hear the music in the music, and tends to notice only the most obvious (usually the loudest) events.

—David Schiff

Examples of listener in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stations know that some listeners are not interested in AI DJs. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Eager listeners waited in long lines for the rumpled professor to sign their books. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026

Massive technological evolutions, including smaller drivers and active and the introduction of adaptive-noise cancellation, have allowed listeners to focus on their favorite music like never before—even on the go, away from home. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026

In turn, Owens has become the elephant in the room at Turning Point, driving a wedge between the current leadership and some donors, who are among Owens’s listeners. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above