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

Yes as a onetime member of the band; or a sense that their music—with its own outlandish sonics, jarring interruptions, intricate riffs played once and tossed away—had more in common with his channel-surfing vision of pop than the average listener might have realized. —Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026

Aubrey notes that even expert perspectives are framed through conversation, allowing listeners to engage with ideas in a more personal context. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 8 May 2026

If anything, the inherent sense of legacy is the most profound aspect that strikes listeners upon diving into Historia's contents. —Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

Hendrix’s band was so loud during recording that listeners couldn’t stand in the studio. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above