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

This was a crew of Black teenagers making sonically adventurous music that, in fact, garnered a great deal of young Black listeners. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025

While listeners praised the unscripted, relatable moment, Poehler is also navigating backlash. —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Each track weaves together themes of resilience and triumph, forging a powerful connection with listeners who have faced their own adversities. —Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025

Radio and television were alleged to have similar effects on the patience of their listeners and viewers, respectively, and this led teachers to say that their students could no longer sit through lectures. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above