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

Three restaurants in Los Angeles made the nationwide top 100 list for diners, released on Wednesday by OpenTable. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Like many restaurants, McDonald's has leaned into discounts to attract budget-conscious diners over the last two years. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

This isn’t the place to try to engage staffers in meandering conversations, but all are friendly and quick to share menu suggestions for curious diners. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026

But why wasn’t there just an extra sign or two directing diners where to wait? — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 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
• spinor
• viner
• weiner

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