listener

noun

lis·​ten·​er ˈli-sᵊn-ər 

ˈlis-nər

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

People who consume media through video or short-form content are different from podcast listeners. —Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025

And just when listeners are ready to ride at dawn to avenge that boy, the final three songs offer reprieve. —Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025

The classic Stern misdirect briefly confused listeners and leaned into the unfounded rumors that SiriusXM wasn't planning to renew Stern’s current five-year contract, which expires in December. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025

The album has a kind of spiritual depth, taking listeners through soundscapes that uplift you, then swoop right down into darkness. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above