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

Ibiza’s Sublimotion has similar haute ambitions, pairing 12 diners together in a room that will come alive with otherworldly projections and performers. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Rather than simply ordering a steak, diners can compare how technique changes its texture and character. — Ching Dee, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Serving a dinner menu that changes nightly, Mohonk provides lots of variety for the gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diners among us. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2026

On a recent Saturday afternoon in Louisa, Virginia, a stop for pizza might have felt like a trip back in time for some diners. — Emily Heil, Washington Post, 8 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