listener

noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While her music has remained a fixture on country charts, the latest results show listeners are turning back to her catalog across formats and generations following her death. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The transition comes about one year after Stern and Cohen pranked listeners by having Cohen take over the airwaves and imply that Stern was fired and that Howard 100, Stern’s main channel, was now his own. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 For long-time listeners to meetings of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, which is distinctly independent from NASA and tasked with identifying safety issues, these were eye-opening statements. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 No one can fill her high heels, cultivate such a diverse group of listeners from Nashville to Nairobi, or better embody the American poverty-to-philanthropy story. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for listener

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of listener was in 1572

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Cite this Entry

“Listener.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listener. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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