narrow, narrow-minded
(adjective) lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view; “a brilliant but narrow-minded judge”; “narrow opinions”
minute, narrow
(adjective) characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination; “a minute inspection of the grounds”; “a narrow scrutiny”; “an exact and minute report”
narrow
(adjective) limited in size or scope; “the narrow sense of a word”
narrow
(adjective) not wide; “a narrow bridge”; “a narrow line across the page”
narrow
(adjective) very limited in degree; “won by a narrow margin”; “a narrow escape”
narrow
(noun) a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water
constrict, constringe, narrow
(verb) become tight or as if tight; “Her throat constricted”
narrow, contract
(verb) make or become more narrow or restricted; “The selection was narrowed”; “The road narrowed”
specialize, specialise, narrow, narrow down
(verb) become more focused on an area of activity or field of study; “She specializes in Near Eastern history”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
narrow (comparative narrower, superlative narrowest)
Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
(figuratively) Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.
Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted
Having a small margin or degree.
(dated) Limited as to means; straitened
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
(phonetics) 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.
• wide
• broad
narrow (plural narrows)
(chiefly, in the plural) A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.
narrow (third-person singular simple present narrows, present participle narrowing, simple past and past participle narrowed)
(transitive) To reduce in width or extent; to contract.
(intransitive) To get narrower.
(of a person or eyes) To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.
(knitting) To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
(transitive, programming) To convert to a data type that cannot hold as many distinct values.
Antonym: widen
• taper
Source: Wiktionary
Nar"row, a. [Compar. Narrower; superl. Narrowest.] Etym: [OE. narwe, naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.]
1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem. Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas. Shak.
2. Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed. The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world. Bp. Wilkins.
3. Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; -- with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority. Dryden.
4. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.
5. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views. "A narrow understanding." Macaulay.
6. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish. A very narrow and stinted charity. Smalridge.
7. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact. But first with narrow search I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unspied. Milton.
8. (Phon.)
Definition: 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; as e (eve) and oo (food), etc., from ì (ìll) and oo (foot), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.
Note: Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words, especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow-brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow-faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow- pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc. Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note under Gauge, n., 6.
Nar"row, n.; pl. Narrows (.
Definition: A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; -- usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor. Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerous narrow. Gladstone.
Nar"row, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Narrowing.] Etym: [AS. nearwian.]
1. To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of. Sir W. Temple.
2. To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion. Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings. I. Watts.
3. (Knitting)
Definition: To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Nar"row, v. i.
1. To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.
2. (Man.)
Definition: Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows. Farrier's Dict.
3. (Knitting)
Definition: To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
31 March 2025
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.
