# customer

/ˈkəstəmɝ/ (US) · /kˈʌstəmɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/customer
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a buyer

noun · CEFR A1

a person who buys things from a shop or business.

For teachers: a person or organisation that purchases goods or services from a business.

- The shop was busy with customers buying gifts for the holiday.
- The manager implemented a new loyalty programme to encourage repeat customers and improve overall satisfaction scores.

### 2. a type of person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person you have to deal with, often described by their personality.

For teachers: a person of a specified kind, especially one that someone has to deal with or interact with.

- Be careful with that dog; he can be a tough customer if he doesn't know you.
- The negotiator was known for being a cool customer, never losing his temper even during the most heated debates.

Usage: Usually preceded by an adjective like 'tough', 'cool', or 'slippery' to describe a person's temperament.

## Examples

- The shop was full of customers during the sale.
- Our goal is to provide excellent service so that every customer leaves the store feeling satisfied.
- Retaining an existing customer is often more cost-effective for a business than the marketing efforts required to acquire a new one in a competitive market.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.