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

As World Cup excitement reached its peak and England remained in the tournament, listeners returned to the familiar singalong in large numbers. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

As part of a deal between SiriusXM and Audacy, WEEI and other Audacy sports stations will be available to SiriusXM listeners in their vehicles and on the SiriusXM app. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 21 July 2026

Now, listeners can hear Mad Dog and his cohorts, as well as WFAN, without switching platforms. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 21 July 2026

New episodes of The Bald and the Beautiful will continue to be available wherever listeners get their podcasts, including the SiriusXM app and all major podcast platforms. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above