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

According to a news release from OpenTable, the restaurant reservation service based its list on a combination of each restaurant's number of reservations placed through OpenTable, diner ratings and percentage of five-star reviews through the service. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025

Within a few weeks, SouthPark diners will be yet again lunching and brunching in a familiar Charlotte space, although the view will be brand new, and the food will be, too. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 21 Nov. 2025

Visitors can enjoy the show outside, or diners can reserve a heated snowglobe and enjoy a good meal while watching the show. —Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025

Frequent diners at Rye KC on the Plaza and in Leawood know no meal is complete without sampling the restaurant’s signature pies or cinnamon rolls. —Kansas City Star, 20 Nov. 2025

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