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

Indeed, Bad Bunny boasts 80 million monthly listeners on Spotify and was the platform's third-most popular artist globally in 2024 despite not releasing an album that year, beating out the likes of Drake, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025

Inclusion on a flagship list, like Rap Caviar, instantly exposes an artist to millions of potential listeners actively looking for new music. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025

Garner is a brilliant observer and listener — every page has a surprising, sharp or amusing thought. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

On top of that, dropping a 3-4 song Christmas EP featuring her signature, unique sound could be a smart move, something seasonal but unmistakably Olivia Dean, which could introduce her to even more listeners before the year ends. —Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above