listener

listener — noun

1. a person that tunes in to a radio broadcast, podcast, recorded message, or piece

1.nounA2
Definition

a person that tunes in to a radio broadcast, podcast, recorded message, or piece of music

Example

Anya turned on the radio each morning, becoming a regular listener of the breakfast show.

collocation: regular listener

The science podcast has over two million listeners in more than fifty countries.

countable noun with numerical quantifier

Common collocations
  • regular listener
  • devoted listener
  • radio listener
  • loyal listener
  • faithful listener
  • listener of [show/podcast]
Synonyms
  • audience member

    refers to someone at a live performance or event, not a broadcast

  • hearer

    formal or archaic; now mainly used in legal or religious contexts

Antonyms
  • speaker

    the person producing the sound or words

  • broadcaster

    the person or organisation sending the radio programme

Grammar Patterns

listener + of [broadcast/music]

countable with quantifier: millions of listeners

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form (listeners) when referring to the audience of a broadcast. For people physically present at a live performance, use 'audience' rather than 'listeners'.

Common Mistakes

The listeners were clapping after the concert.
The audience was clapping after the concert.
'Listener' refers to people hearing a broadcast; 'audience' refers to people at a live event.

2. a person who pays close attention while someone else talks, especially about per

2.nounB1
Definition

a person who pays close attention while someone else talks, especially about personal feelings or difficulties, aiming to understand and offer comfort

Example

After her friend shared the painful news, Noor stayed quiet and was a careful listener.

collocation: careful listener

Ritu's colleagues describe her as a sympathetic listener who never interrupts.

collocation: sympathetic listener

Common collocations
  • good listener
  • patient listener
  • sympathetic listener
  • careful listener
  • kind listener
  • a listener to [someone]
Synonyms
  • confidant

    implies trust and secrets, a stronger relationship than a listener

  • counsellor

    a trained professional; a listener can be an untrained friend

  • sympathiser

    focuses on sharing the emotion rather than just paying attention

Antonyms
  • talker

    someone who dominates conversation instead of listening

  • interrupter

    someone who cuts others off while they speak

Grammar Patterns

adjective + listener: good / patient / sympathetic / careful / kind listener

Usage Note

Typically modified by an adjective (good, patient, sympathetic, careful, kind) to describe the quality of listening. The fixed phrase 'a good listener' is very common in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

She is a listener at the conference.
She is an attentive participant at the conference.
'Listener' as a supportive role is for personal conversations, not formal or professional events.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

A listener is anyone who pays attention when someone speaks, often used with an adjective to describe the quality of listening ('a patient listener'). A confidant implies a deeper trust — someone you share secrets or private worries with, expecting confidentiality. A counsellor is a trained professional who listens as part of a structured helping role, while a sympathiser focuses on sharing the other person's feelings or sorrow rather than simply hearing them out. For everyday emotional support, 'listener' is the most natural and widely used term. 'My sister is a good listener' is common; 'my sister is a good confidant' implies secrecy, and 'my sister is a good counsellor' would sound odd unless she is actually trained.

listener ↗confidantcounsellor ↗sympathiser

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a good listener

Prepositions

  • listener to [something / someone]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Derived from the verb 'listen' (from Old English 'hlystan' meaning 'to pay attention to sounds') combined with the agent suffix '-er' ('one who does'). The word has been used in English since the 14th century.