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

Your first interaction with half-and-half might have been those tiny cups that get tossed on the table at diners, fast food joints, and other less-than-fancy places. — Alyse Whitney, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026

The debate also prompted Charlotte diners to recommend alternatives. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026

In a time when diners can see a restaurant on social media before ever stepping inside, Boulud said luxury increasingly lies in what can’t be experienced through a screen. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Serving this many diners simultaneously, maintaining the quality of the cook and the temperature, is a Herculean feat. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 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