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

As a culinary region, the Plains Midwest remains comparatively under-explored and un-commodified—to diners’ benefit. —Liz Cook, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026

Before diners are even seated, a quirky focal point is bound to elicit oohs and aahs, and many, many wandering eyes trying to decipher the meaning. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

Morgan, in part, is helping bridge the gap between the Tustin loyalists and a new generation of diners. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026

Woven into their story is a young woman who works at a diner and has been their most devoted follower. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 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