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 of diner

• restaurant

Examples of diner in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Looking at the diner crime scene, Assistant Director Vance says Shepard put up one hell of a fight. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

The Fort Worth dining scene in March celebrated a handful of new restaurant openings, hosted multiple celebrity diners and discovered a few new digs on the docket. —Ella Gonzales april 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026

JoSã will be holding a reservation-only soft opening April 3-5, which will give diners a chance to preview the menu, atmosphere, views and hospitality, plus share their feedback. —Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026

Today, diners from Fleur Drive to Fourth Street can relive the ritual — often open‑faced, usually with fries, always with attitude. —Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 1 Apr. 2026

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