- measuring a short distance from one side to the other, especially in relation to length
- Stray dogs wander the steep narrow lanes of the old town.
- The road soon became narrower and steeper.
- a narrow bed/doorway/shelf
- Tall narrow windows admit only slivers of light.
- narrow shoulders/hips
- There was only a narrow gap between the bed and the wall.
- Farming is confined to a narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea.
- (figurative) the narrow confines of prison life
Extra Examples- The pass gets quite narrow towards the east.
- The rear part of the casing is slightly narrower than the front.
- I sat next to him on the narrow bed.
- The jacket looked very large across his narrow shoulders.
- (figurative) The producer has a narrow window each year to implement changes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- [usually before noun] only just achieved or avoided
- a narrow victory
- She was elected by a narrow majority.
- He had a narrow escape when his car skidded on the ice.
- He lost the race by the narrowest of margins.
Extra ExamplesTopics Successb2- She blamed the goalkeeper for the narrow defeat against Ireland.
- He secured a narrow victory in the presidential elections.
- limited in variety or numbers synonym restricted
- The shop sells only a narrow range of goods.
- She only has a narrow circle of friends.
- The exhibition is disappointingly narrow in scope.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- in
- limited in a way that ignores important issues or the opinions of other people
- narrow interests
- She has a very narrow view of the world.
- I found the focus of the debate too narrow.
Extra Examples- Teachers feel that the present curriculum is too narrow.
- His specialization is too narrow to be of interest to more than a handful of students.
- people who are rather narrow in outlook
- The party has a rather narrow political agenda.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- in
- limited in meaning; exact
- I am using the word ‘education’ in the narrower sense.
Which Word? narrow / thinnarrow / thinThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:opposite broad (4)narrow ~ thin ~ road man entrance legs bed ice stairs line majority layer victory material range cream - Narrow describes something that is a short distance from side to side. Thin describes people, or something that has a short distance through it from one side to the other.
- Thin is also used of things that are not as thick as you expect. Narrow can be used with the meanings ‘only just achieved’ and ‘limited’.
Word OriginOld English nearu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naar ‘dismal, unpleasant’ and German Narbe ‘scar’. Early senses in English included ‘constricted’ and ‘mean’.
Idioms
See narrow in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee narrow in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishthe straight and narrow
- (informal) the honest and morally acceptable way of living
- His friends try to keep him on the straight and narrow.
Check pronunciation:
narrow