listener

noun

plural listeners
: one who listens to someone or something
a radio program with many listeners
a friend who's a good listener [=who listens attentively and sympathetically]
Fanny, being always a very courteous listener, and often the only listener at hand, came in for the complaints and distresses of most of them.Jane Austen
The average concertgoer drifts in and out of the music, often losing the thread. The listener can't always hear the music in the music, and tends to notice only the most obvious (usually the loudest) events.David Schiff

Examples of listener in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The idea was in response to a listener who suggested the city wasted funds to construct the temporary facility that was not ready for the World Cup. Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Senra’s podcast counts Jeff Bezos, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong among its listeners, according to reporting from Fortune’s Lily Mae Lazarus, and has become something of an obsession among the world’s most powerful CEOs. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 14 July 2026 His pop choreography, slick style-bending and imperial fashion cast a sizable shadow for anyone who’s tried to win over Top 40 listeners since, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and even Fall Out Boy. Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 Today on the show, former FDIC chair Sheila Bair answers young listeners' car buying questions. Darian Woods, NPR, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for listener

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of listener was in 1572

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Cite this Entry

“Listener.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listener. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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