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

The fine print on one sign notes that the restaurant’s chips and crispy taco shells are fried in the same oil as the chicken, leaving vegan and vegetarian diners at a loss. —Drew Pittock, USA Today, 26 May 2026

The hotel hired Valentin Raffali, a talented young chef who made waves at Livingston in Marseille, and who arrived with something of a cult following among in-the-know Parisian diners. —Lindsey Tramuta, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026

Search ahead, especially before entering expensive corridors, remote areas or tourist towns where fuel prices fatten up like raccoons behind a diner. —Josh Max, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

Astera offers an upscale tasting menu with a non-alcoholic drink pairing option alongside its zero proof drinks list — letting diners experience the full multi-course meal without alcohol at any point. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 22 May 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