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

Haai’s arrangement and production techniques in Digitise are sometimes challenging to the listener by design. — Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026

Yet the way Whitney interpreted the anthem—on what Rickey tells me was her first take—expressed an inclusive freedom that was especially poignant for Black artists and listeners. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Even Daniel, who is quiet but a keen listener, interjects when necessary. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026

But this is an album that’s apparently about the artist’s double life, and the questions that are bound to be at the forefront of any curious listener’s mind go unaddressed. — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above