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

With the remarkable rise in online food delivery, many restaurants struggle to balance service and food prep for diners in their establishments while also preparing staging and queuing delivery for takeout orders. — George C. Lee Ii, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Continue reading … SOBER CURIOUS – GLP-1 boom could reshape restaurant bars as diners cut back on alcohol. — FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Paper menus allow diners to tick off orders of lip-tingling laab, luscious khao soi, and juicy pomelo salad, feeling like a never-ending invitation to add just one more course. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

The first tangible milestone arrived this summer with the opening of a new Nobu restaurant in the Eastown District of New Cairo, offering diners a teaser of the brand ahead of the future Nobu Hotel (set to open next year). — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 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