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 change quickly made 88.5 a beacon for listeners and other DJs. —Brendan Hay, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025

This technology combines an AI noise-reduction chip with exclusive tuning and three microphones in each earbud, enabling the speaker and the listener to experience the ultimate call quality. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

These leaders are viewed as better listeners and more flexible, curious and open to input. —Michael Alcee, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025

Still, some listeners, even those who came of age in the Seventies, have never heard his most odd entry to the pop canon. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above