diner

noun

din·​er ˈdī-nər 

1

: a person who dines (as in a restaurant) or who is dining

2

a

: dining car

b

chiefly US : a typically small, informal, and inexpensive restaurant that has an extensive menu and that is often made from or designed to resemble a modified railroad dining car

had lunch at a roadside diner

Synonyms

• restaurant
• cafe

Examples of diner in a Sentence

we'll just grab a quick hamburger at the local diner

Recent Examples on the Web

Plainly on the hunt for younger diners, Felss Masino succeeded mainly in alienating older ones. —Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Good morning, In April 2023, Rose’s Fine Food owner Molly Mitchell announced the closing of the charming diner after nine years, to much dismay. —Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025

There were diners present, but none were injured, House said. —Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2025

When news of the closing of Valerie Chang’s Peruvian restaurant Maty’s was announced in Midtown, Miami diners were stunned. —Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diner

• diner-out

Rhymes for diner

• finer
• liner
• miner
• minor
• schreiner
• seiner
• shiner
• shriner
• signer
• viner
• weiner
• airliner

Kids Definition

diner

noun

din·​er ˈdī-nər 

1

: one that dines

2

a

: dining car

b

: a restaurant in the shape of a railroad car