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

While diners may assume higher tips are expected at dinner, most servers don't expect a higher percentage, just a higher total, Sheik said. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026

The diner currently operates outposts in downtown Austin, Oltorf Street and Burnet Road. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026

Exploring the lives of a boxer, a diner-robbing couple, a gangster's wife, and a pair of chatty hitmen, Pulp Fiction plays by its own rules in exploring how each of their messy lives intersects. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026

The metrics included the percentage of five-star reviews and diner ratings. —Michael Guise, CBS News, 28 Jan. 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
• viner
• weiner
• airliner

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