Narrow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈner-(ˌ)ō/ nar·row

Meaning & Definition of Narrow

Narrow (adjective)

  1. of slender width
  2. of less than standard or usual width
  3. woven in widths usually less than 18 inches (46 centimeters)

Narrow (verb)

  1. to decrease the breadth or extent of, contract —often used with down
  2. to decrease the scope or sphere of, limit —often used with down
  3. to lessen in width or extent, contract —often used with down

Narrow (noun)

  1. a narrow part or passage; specifically, a strait connecting two bodies of water —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Narrow (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being of less than usual width

    "found a narrow opening in the fence that he was able to squeeze through"

    similar: fine, hairline, needlelike, paper-thin, skinny, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin, ultrathin
    related: attenuate, attenuated, elongate, linear, bottleneck, close, compressed, condensed, constricted, contracted, squeezed, tight, tightened, lanky, rangy, reedy, shoestring, spindly, stalky, stringy, twiggy, willowy, wispy, lank, spare
    opposite: broad, fat, wide
    near: chunky, squat, stocky, stumpy, thick, thickset, bulky, massive, voluminous, thickish, widish

  2. not broad or open in views or opinions

    "a narrow person who thought that anyone who even owned a television had been morally corrupted by society"

    similar: illiberal, insular, Lilliputian, little, narrow-minded, parochial, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded
    related: inflexible, ironbound, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, set, stubborn, unyielding, wrongheaded, bigoted, intolerant, biased, discriminating, discriminatory, jaundiced, one-sided, partial, partisan, prejudiced, brassbound, hidebound, old-fashioned, reactionary, stodgy, straitlaced, stuffy, dogmatic, opinionated, opinionative, limited, hick, unsophisticated
    opposite: broad-minded, catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal, open, open-minded, receptive, tolerant
    near: impartial, nonpartisan, objective, unbiased, unprejudiced, freethinking

  3. having distinct or certain limits

    "a play about human suffering, but in a narrower sense, also about the modern struggles of the working-class poor"

    similar: bounded, circumscribed, defined, definite, determinate, finite, limited, measured, restricted
    related: modified, qualified, detailed, exact, precise, specific, confined, constricted, moderate, modest, minute, puny, small, tiny, determined, fixed, settled
    opposite: boundless, dimensionless, endless, illimitable, immeasurable, indefinite, infinite, limitless, measureless, unbounded, undefined, unlimited, unmeasured
    near: bottomless, countless, incalculable, inestimable, inexhaustible, innumerable, unfathomable, unqualified, unreserved, general, indeterminate, nebulous, vague, enlarged, escalated, expanded, copious, plenitudinous, plentiful, big, bulky, bumper, considerable, extensive, goodly, great, handsome, hefty, hulking, jumbo, king-size, large, largish, overscale, oversize, respectable, sizable, substantial, super, vast, voluminous, whacking, epic, grandiose, major, ample, broad, comprehensive, cosmopolitan, expansive, global, inclusive, sweeping, universal, whole

  4. showing little difference in the standing of the competitors

    "a narrow gubernatorial contest, the outcome of which may depend upon a handful of votes"

    similar: close, down-to-the-wire, hairbreadth, neck and neck, nip and tuck, tight
    related: crowded

  5. unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints

    "tried to convince the narrow members of her family that there are many paths to a successful career that don't involve getting a university degree"

    similar: bigoted, illiberal, intolerant, narrow-minded, prejudiced, small-minded
    related: hidebound, old-fashioned, reactionary, blindfolded, blinkered, insular, parochial, provincial, biased, one-sided, partial, partisan
    opposite: broad-minded, liberal, open-minded, tolerant, unprejudiced
    near: extreme, progressive, radical, impartial, objective, unbiased

Narrow (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in bay, creek

    similar: arm, bay, bight, cove, creek (chiefly British), embayment, estuary, firth, fjord, gulf, inlet, lagoon, loch (Scottish), lough (chiefly Irish), roads, roadstead, anchorage, harbor, harborage, haven, port, basin, dock, marina, moorage, mooring, canal, channel, sound, strait, containerport, home port, seaport

Narrow (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in squeeze, tighten

    similar: constrict, contract, lessen, pinch, squeeze, tighten, bar, block, hamper, hinder, impede, obstruct, quell, repress, suppress, cap, circumscribe, confine, hold down, limit, restrict, number, modify, qualify
    opposite: exceed, broaden, expand, widen, overextend, overreach

Related Entry: Narrow (down) (verb)

Narrow (down) is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow (down), not for narrow.

  1. to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together

    "plans to narrow down the scope of the investigation into the government scandal"

    similar: capsule, capsulize, collapse, compact, compress, condense, constrict, constringe, contract, squeeze, telescope
    related: cram, crowd, jam, jam-pack, pack, abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, boil down, downsize, shrink, concentrate, consolidate, simplify, streamline, decrease, diminish, lessen
    opposite: decompress, expand, open, outspread, outstretch
    near: dilate, disperse, dissipate, scatter, distend, inflate, swell

Related Entry: Narrow-minded (adjective)

Narrow-minded is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow-minded, not for narrow.

  1. unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints

    "it took a while for some of the more narrow-minded members of management to be persuaded to modernize the dress code"

    similar: bigoted, illiberal, intolerant, narrow, prejudiced, small-minded
    related: hidebound, old-fashioned, reactionary, blindfolded, blinkered, insular, parochial, provincial, biased, one-sided, partial, partisan
    opposite: broad-minded, liberal, open-minded, tolerant, unprejudiced
    near: extreme, progressive, radical, impartial, objective, unbiased

  2. not broad or open in views or opinions

    "narrow-minded people who instinctively feared and shunned those from different cultures"

    similar: illiberal, insular, Lilliputian, little, narrow, parochial, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded
    related: inflexible, ironbound, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, set, stubborn, unyielding, wrongheaded, bigoted, intolerant, biased, discriminating, discriminatory, jaundiced, one-sided, partial, partisan, prejudiced, brassbound, hidebound, old-fashioned, reactionary, stodgy, straitlaced, stuffy, dogmatic, opinionated, opinionative, limited, hick, unsophisticated
    opposite: broad-minded, catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal, open, open-minded, receptive, tolerant
    near: impartial, nonpartisan, objective, unbiased, unprejudiced, freethinking

Related Entry: Narrow-mindedness (noun)

Narrow-mindedness is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow-mindedness, not for narrow.

  1. stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices

    "the narrow-mindedness of some people prevents them from seeing that not all changes are for the worse"

    similar: bigotry, dogmatism, illiberalism, illiberality, illiberalness, intolerance, intolerantness, opinionatedness, partisanship, sectarianism, small-mindedness
    related: insularism, insularity, parochialism, provincialism, bias, partiality, prejudice
    opposite: broad-mindedness, liberalism, liberality, open-mindedness, tolerance
    near: progressiveness, progressivism

Related Entry: Narrow escape (phrase)

Narrow escape is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow escape, not for narrow.

  1. a barely successful escape from something undesirable

    "The fallen hiker had a narrow escape from death when someone spotted him in need of help."

    similar: close call, close shave, near miss, hairbreadth escape, near escape
    related: squeaker
    near: misfire

Related Entry: Narrow boat (noun)

Narrow boat is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow boat, not for narrow.

  1. as in barge, keel

    similar: barge, hoy, keel, keelboat, lighter, auxiliary, bumboat, cutter, jolly boat, launch, lifeboat, longboat, tender, yawl, towboat, tug, tugboat, houseboat, riverboat, ferry, ferryboat, gondola, taxi, water taxi, cruiser, inboard, motorboat, outboard, powerboat, banker, coble, dragger, gillnetter, hooker, lugger, scalloper, seiner, shrimper, trawler, whaleboat, whaler, workboat, bateau, caïque, canoe, catamaran, coracle, curragh, dhow, dinghy, dink, dory, dugout, flatboat, garvey, gig, johnboat, kayak, outrigger, paddleboat, pinnace, piragua, pirogue, pontoon, pram, punt, raft, rowboat, rowing boat (chiefly British), sampan, scow, scull, shallop, shell, skiff, surfboat, umiak, wherry, cockleshell, tub, catboat, ketch, sailboat, schooner, yacht

Related Entry: Narrow boats (noun)

Narrow boats is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow boats, not for narrow.

  1. as in barges, keels

    similar: barges, hoys, keelboats, keels, lighters, auxiliaries, bumboats, cutters, jolly boats, launches, lifeboats, longboats, tender, yawls, towboats, tugboats, tugs, houseboats, riverboats, ferries, ferryboats, gondolas, taxis, water taxis, cruisers, inboards, motorboats, outboards, powerboats, bankers, cobles, draggers, gillnetters, hookers, luggers, scallopers, seiners, shrimpers, trawlers, whaleboats, whalers, workboats, bateaux, caïques, canoes, catamarans, coracles, curraghs, dhows, dinghies, dinks, dories, dugouts, flatboats, garveys, gigs, johnboats, kayaks, outriggers, paddleboats, pinnaces, piraguas, pirogues, pontoons, prams, punts, rafts, rowboats, rowing boats (chiefly British), sampans, scows, sculls, shallops, shells, skiffs, surfboats, umiaks, wherries, cockleshells, tubs, catboats, ketches, sailboats, schooners, yachts

Related Entry: Narrow escapes (phrase)

Narrow escapes is a different word from Narrow. The synonyms below are for narrow escapes, not for narrow.

  1. a barely successful escape from something undesirable

    "The fallen hiker had a narrow escape from death when someone spotted him in need of help."

    similar: close calls, close shaves, near misses, hairbreadth escapes, near escapes
    related: squeakers
    near: misfires

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Narrow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Narrow:

Chiefly British: creek
Scottish: loch
Chiefly Irish: lough
fine, hairline, needlelike, paper-thin, skinny, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin, ultrathin, illiberal, insular, Lilliputian, little, narrow-minded, parochial, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded, bounded, circumscribed, defined, definite, determinate, finite, limited, measured, restricted, close, down-to-the-wire, hairbreadth, neck and neck, nip and tuck, tight, bigoted, intolerant, prejudiced

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Narrow

Words with the opposite meaning of Narrow:

broad, fat, wide, broad-minded, catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal, open, open-minded, receptive, tolerant, boundless, dimensionless, endless, illimitable, immeasurable, indefinite, infinite, limitless, measureless, unbounded, undefined, unlimited, unmeasured, unprejudiced, exceed, broaden, expand, widen, overextend

Related Words for Narrow

attenuate, attenuated, elongate, linear, bottleneck, compressed, condensed, constricted, contracted, squeezed, tightened, lanky, rangy, reedy, shoestring, spindly, stalky, stringy, twiggy, willowy, wispy, lank, spare, inflexible, ironbound, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, set, stubborn

Near Antonyms of Narrow

chunky, squat, stocky, stumpy, thick, thickset, bulky, massive, voluminous, thickish, widish, impartial, nonpartisan, objective, unbiased, freethinking, bottomless, countless, incalculable, inestimable, inexhaustible, innumerable, unfathomable, unqualified, unreserved, general, indeterminate, nebulous, vague, enlarged

Word Forms of Narrow

Inflections: narrowed, narrowing, narrows

Derived words: narrowly (adverb), narrowness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Narrow

Middle English narowe, from Old English nearu; akin to Old High German narwa scar

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Narrow

Words & Phrases Containing Narrow

narrow boat, narrow-minded, straight and narrow, the straight and narrow

Frequently Asked Questions about Narrow

What does "Narrow" mean?

"Narrow" means of slender width. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: of slender width. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Narrow"?

Other words for "Narrow" include fine, hairline, needlelike, paper-thin, skinny, slender, slim and slim-jim. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Narrow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Narrow"?

There are 166 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Narrow". Common alternatives include fine, hairline, needlelike, paper-thin, skinny, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin and ultrathin.

What is the opposite of "Narrow"?

Antonyms of "Narrow" include broad, fat, wide, broad-minded, catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal and open. Near antonyms include chunky, squat, stocky and stumpy.

How do you use "Narrow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Narrow" in a sentence: "found a narrow opening in the fence that he was able to squeeze through"; "a narrow person who thought that anyone who even owned a television had been morally corrupted by society"; "a play about human suffering, but in a narrower sense, also about the modern struggles of the working-class poor".

Is "Narrow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Narrow" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Narrow" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Narrow" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Narrow"?

"Narrow" is pronounced /ˈner-(ˌ)ō/ and divided into syllables as nar·row.