narrow Meaning & Definition
What Does Narrow Mean?
As an adjective, narrow means Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth. It is also used to mean Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed. As a noun, it means A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water. As a verb, it means To reduce in width or extent; to contract.
Narrow: Key Facts
| Part of speech | adjective, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈnæɹəʊ// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | slender, dogmatic and petty |
| Antonyms | broad, wide and broad-minded |
| Plural | narrows |
| Comparative / superlative | narrower, narrowest |
| Verb forms | narrows, narrowing, narrowed |
Narrow Definition (Adjective)
- Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
a narrow hallway
- Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
- Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.
a narrow interpretation
- Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted.
a narrow mind
- Having a small margin or degree.
a narrow escape
- Limited as to means; straitened
narrow circumstances
- Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
- Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
- Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; distinguished from wide.
- Of or supporting only those text characters that can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.
a narrow character; a narrow stream
Narrow as a Noun
- A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.
the narrows of New York harbor
Narrow as a Verb
- To reduce in width or extent; to contract.
We need to narrow the search.
- To get narrower.
The road narrows.
- To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.
He stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes to slits.
- To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
- To convert to a data type that cannot hold as many distinct values.
to narrow an int variable to a short variable
Noun
- (chiefly in the plural) A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.
the narrows of New York harbor
Verb
- (of a person or eyes) To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.
He stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes to slits.
Synonyms of Narrow
Antonyms of Narrow
Narrow in a Sentence
a narrow hallway
a narrow interpretation
a narrow mind
narrow views
a narrow escape
The Republicans won by a narrow majority.
narrow circumstances
a narrow character; a narrow stream
the narrows of New York harbor
We need to narrow the search.
The road narrows.
He stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes to slits.
She wagged her finger in his face, and her eyes narrowed.
to narrow an int variable to a short variable
Word Forms & Grammar
narrow (comparative narrower, superlative narrowest)
narrow (plural narrows)
narrow (third-person singular simple present narrows, present participle narrowing, simple past and past participle narrowed)
Words That Rhyme With Narrow
Origin of Narrow
Origin 1: From Middle English narow, narowe, narewe, narwe, naru, from Old English nearu (“narrow, strait, confined, constricted, not spacious, limited, petty; limited, poor, restricted; oppressive, causing anxiety (of that which restricts free action of body or mind), causing or accompanied by difficulty, hardship, oppressive; oppressed, not having free action; strict, severe”), from Proto-West Germanic *naru, from Proto-Germanic *narwaz (“constricted, narrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ner- (“to turn, bend, twist, constrict”).
Origin 2: From Middle English narwen (“to narrow”); see there for more details, but ultimately derived from the noun.
Narrow Pronunciation
Narrow is pronounced //ˈnæɹəʊ// and has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Narrow
Is narrow an adjective or a noun?
Narrow is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun and a verb.
What is another word for narrow?
You can replace narrow with words such as slender, dogmatic and petty. See the full list of narrow synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of narrow?
The opposite of narrow can be expressed with words like broad, wide, broad-minded and widen.
What is the plural of narrow?
The plural of narrow is narrows.
What is the past tense of narrow?
The past tense of narrow is narrowed. The present participle is narrowing.