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

Rather, the issue is South Korea’s nuanced food laws, which regulate which insects can go on diners’ plates. — Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Three people were hurt when the ceiling collapsed on diners during the supper rush at a North Carolina steakhouse, according to investigators. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026

In the burgundy booth of a diner, John Lozier leaned in, lowered his voice and asked his friend a question he's carried for nearly two weeks. — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026

The restaurant contributes labor, accepts part of the financial risk and gives those ingredients a path to diners. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 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