narrow
narrow — adjective
1. describing something whose width is small compared to its length, or smaller tha
describing something whose width is small compared to its length, or smaller than what is usual or expected.
The alley was so narrow that only one person could walk through at a time.
collocation: narrow alley / narrow street
With a narrow paintbrush, Élise carefully added gold details to the picture frame.
Through the narrow gap in the fence, Hugo watched the children play in the park.
collocation: narrow gap
Amira's narrow shoulders made it hard for her to find jackets that fit properly.
- narrow alley
- narrow path
- narrow gap
- narrow hallway
- narrow street
- narrow shoulders
- narrow waist
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun
be + narrow
Usage Note
Commonly used with nouns describing physical passages and openings (alley, path, gap, doorway, hallway, street). Both attributive and predicative positions are natural: 'a narrow hallway' and 'the hallway is narrow' are both standard.
Common Mistakes
2. restricted in range or variety, marked by an unwillingness to consider different
restricted in range or variety, marked by an unwillingness to consider different ideas, perspectives, or experiences.
Christopher's narrow view of the world meant he struggled to understand different cultures.
collocation: narrow view
The job advertisement attracted only a narrow range of applicants with very specific qualifications.
Aylin felt frustrated by the narrow curriculum, which left no room for creativity.
collocation: narrow curriculum
The company had a narrow focus on short-term profits rather than long-term growth.
- narrow view
- narrow outlook
- narrow range
- narrow focus
- narrow curriculum
- narrow scope
- narrow-minded
- limited
more neutral in tone; lacks the critical judgment that 'narrow' can carry
- restricted
suggests external limitations rather than internal inflexibility
- insular
stronger negative tone; implies isolation and lack of contact with the outside world
- broad
describes wide-ranging interests or inclusive thinking
- open-minded
direct opposite of the attitudinal meaning; describes willingness to consider new ideas
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (view/range/curriculum)
be + narrow (in outlook/thinking)
Usage Note
When describing people's attitudes or mindsets, this sense often carries a critical tone. Common collocations include 'narrow view', 'narrow outlook', and especially the compound adjective 'narrow-minded'. Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT WIDE) — this sense always describes abstract things, never physical width.
Common Mistakes
3. used to describe a result, score, or vote in which the difference between succes
used to describe a result, score, or vote in which the difference between success and failure is extremely small.
The candidate won the election by a narrow margin of only two hundred votes.
collocation: narrow margin
Tuan's team secured a narrow victory in the final seconds of the basketball game.
Despite a narrow majority in parliament, the government pushed ahead with the new law.
collocation: narrow majority
Dylan passed the driving test by the narrowest possible margin after one small mistake.
- narrow margin
- narrow victory
- narrow majority
- narrow defeat
- narrow loss
- narrow lead
- comfortable
describes a lead or margin that is large enough to feel secure
- decisive
describes a result that is clear and not in doubt
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (victory/margin/majority/defeat)
Usage Note
Almost always used attributively before the noun it modifies ('a narrow victory', 'a narrow majority'). Predicative use is rare and may sound awkward to native speakers — prefer 'the margin was narrow' over 'the victory was narrow'. Distinguish from sense 4 (NARROW ESCAPE): sense 3 is about the closeness of a result or outcome, while sense 4 is about narrowly avoiding danger.
Common Mistakes
4. describes a dangerous event that a person manages to avoid only by the smallest
describes a dangerous event that a person manages to avoid only by the smallest possible difference, coming extremely close to being hurt or harmed.
Ari had a narrow escape when a branch missed his head by a few centimetres.
collocation: narrow escape — only noun used with this sense
The hikers had a narrow escape from the wildfire that swept through the valley.
Vivek's car swerved to avoid a truck in a narrow escape that left him shaking.
The family made a narrow escape from their burning house just before the roof collapsed.
- narrow escape
- narrow miss
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (escape/miss)
Usage Note
Almost exclusively appears in the fixed collocation 'narrow escape' (or 'narrow miss' for a near-accident involving objects). Other nouns (such as 'accident' or 'incident') do not combine with narrow in this way. Distinguish from sense 3 (JUST ACHIEVED): this sense is about avoiding danger, not about the closeness of a result.
Common Mistakes
5. focusing on a very specific aspect or detail, with careful attention to exactnes
focusing on a very specific aspect or detail, with careful attention to exactness rather than broad application; limited to a precisely defined meaning or scope.
The professor gave a narrow reading of the poem, focusing only on its grammatical structure.
collocation: narrow reading
In the narrow sense of the term, a fruit must develop from a flower's ovary.
collocation: narrow sense
The lawyer argued for a narrow interpretation of the contract clause.
This dictionary defines the word in its narrowest meaning, excluding all metaphorical uses.
- narrow sense
- narrow definition
- narrow reading
- narrow interpretation
- narrow meaning
- precise
more general and positive; lacks the sense of restriction that 'narrow' carries
- meticulous
emphasises attention to detail more than limited scope
- strict
stronger emphasis on rules or boundaries rather than careful analysis
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (sense/definition/reading/interpretation)
Usage Note
Primarily used in formal, academic, or technical writing to describe precise analysis or a restricted application. Common collocations include 'narrow definition', 'narrow sense', 'narrow reading', and 'narrow interpretation'. Do not confuse with sense 2 (LIMITED) — this sense has a neutral or even positive connotation of careful precision, whereas sense 2 implies insufficiency or lack of openness.
Common Mistakes
A way of living that is honest and follows moral rules.
After prison, Diego tried to stay on the straight and narrow.
Maya's parents always encouraged her to follow the straight and narrow.
narrow — noun
1. a place where something becomes thinner or more restricted in width, especially
a place where something becomes thinner or more restricted in width, especially a narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
The boat passed through the narrows between the two islands with great care.
plural form 'narrows' for a strait or channel
The hikers hiked down to the narrow where the river squeezed between the canyon walls.
Fishermen know that fish gather in the narrows where the current speeds up.
The map showed a narrow connecting the lake to the open sea.
- the narrows
- through the narrows
- narrow of the river
Grammar Patterns
the narrows
a narrow + of + [water body]
Usage Note
Often used in the plural form 'the narrows' when referring to a strait or constricted waterway. Also appears in geographical place names (e.g. 'the Narrows' in New York). As a countable noun for a specific physical feature, this sense is less common in everyday speech than the adjective form.
Common Mistakes
narrow — verb
1. to reduce in width, either by itself or through someone's action, making somethi
to reduce in width, either by itself or through someone's action, making something less wide than it originally was.
The road narrows suddenly after the bridge, so drivers need to slow down.
intransitive: road + narrow
Hugo narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he heard the strange noise.
transitive: narrow + body part (eyes)
Ari narrowed the waist of the dress to make it fit better.
As the river narrows, the water flows much faster through the rocky channel.
- narrow the road
- narrow one's eyes
- narrow the gap
- narrow the passage
- narrow the opening
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (road/eyes/gap)
subject + narrow (road/passage/space)
Usage Note
Can be used both transitively ('the tailor narrowed the trousers') and intransitively ('the path narrows'). Common physical objects used as subjects or objects include road, path, river, hallway, gap, opening, and body parts (especially eyes). The past participle 'narrowed' is often used attributively: 'a narrowed road.'
Common Mistakes
2. to decrease in amount, degree, or range, especially when the distance or differe
to decrease in amount, degree, or range, especially when the distance or difference between two things becomes smaller.
The gap between the rich and the poor has narrowed in some developing countries.
intransitive: gap + narrow (metaphorical)
Scientists narrowed the list of possible causes down to three main factors.
phrasal verb: narrow down
Yumi narrowed her search to apartments within walking distance of the train station.
The difference in test scores between the two classes narrowed throughout the school year.
- narrow the gap
- narrow the difference
- narrow the search
- narrow the focus
- narrow down options
Grammar Patterns
narrow + noun (gap/difference/range)
narrow down + noun (options/list/search)
subject + narrow (gap/difference/range)
Usage Note
Subject or object is typically an abstract concept such as a gap, difference, range, set of options, or search scope. The phrasal verb 'narrow down' is very common and means to reduce the number of possibilities. Distinguish from sense 1 (BECOME LESS WIDE) — this sense is always metaphorical and never refers to physical width.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- narrowlyadverbB2
- narrownessnounC1
- narrowedadjectiveB2
- narrow-mindedadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe a small measurement, but they differ in which dimension they refer to and what connotation they carry. 'Narrow' contrasts width with length — a narrow road or hallway is one where the side-to-side distance is small. 'Thin' contrasts the distance between two opposite surfaces with the other dimensions — a thin book or a thin layer has little depth. 'Slender' suggests an attractive, graceful thinness, especially for people or tall objects (a slender vase, a slender figure); it carries a positive or neutral connotation. 'Slim' is similar to slender but more common for people and everyday objects (a slim wallet, a slim phone). 'Tight' describes the fit between two things rather than an inherent measurement — a tight jacket is one that is small for the wearer, whereas a narrow jacket simply has a small width. For physical width especially in comparison to length, 'narrow' is the most neutral and precise choice.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- extremely narrow
- relatively narrow
- increasingly narrow
- rather narrow
- too narrow
- quite narrow
Prepositions
- narrow in (scope/width/outlook)
Etymology
The word 'narrow' traces back to Old English 'nearu', which meant 'constricted, confined, cramped'. This came from the Proto-Germanic root '*narwaz', also meaning 'narrow'. Scholars connect this to the Proto-Indo-European root '*ner-', meaning 'to constrict' or 'press together'. The original sense of physical tightness or confinement gradually expanded into the modern uses — describing limited width, restricted thinking, and barely-achieved results. The verb form developed in Middle English, and the noun use for a strait or channel appears from the 16th century onward.