narrow
NA-roh
Narrow (adj) means having a small width compared to length; not wide. Example: “The car barely fit down the narrow alley.”
adj
1
Having a small width compared to length; not wide.
"The car barely fit down the narrow alley."
"They squeezed through a narrow gap in the fence."
"Her narrow bed hardly left room for a small table beside it."
verb
1
To make or become smaller in width or scope.
"The road narrows sharply just before the bridge."
"Police have narrowed the search to three suspects."
"The gap between the two teams narrowed as the final minutes passed."
noun
1
A narrow stretch of water connecting two larger bodies.
"Their boat passed through the narrows at high tide."
"The sailors steered carefully through the narrows, where the current ran fast between the two shores."
"The ferry crosses the narrows in less than ten minutes."
How to use narrow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot wide — a small distance from side to side, or (figuratively) limited in scope.
Common pairings
narrow street
narrow margin
narrow it down
narrow-minded
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Word forms
- Plural
- narrows
- Third person singular
- narrows
- Past tense
- narrowed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The car barely fit down the _____ alley.
Etymology
From Old English nearu, "narrow, confined", tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to twist or constrict".
Synonyms
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tight
slender
constricted
cramped
slim
minute
specialise
contract
specialize
constrict
constringe
specify
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for narrow
See all rhymes for narrow →Frequently asked questions
What does “narrow” mean?
The word “narrow” means having a small width compared to length; not wide. In plain terms, not wide — a small distance from side to side, or (figuratively) limited in scope.
How do you pronounce “narrow”?
“Narrow” is pronounced NA-roh (/ˈnæɹəʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “narrow” in a sentence?
Here is “narrow” used in a sentence: “The car barely fit down the narrow alley.”
What is another word for “narrow”?
Words with a similar meaning to “narrow” include taper.
What part of speech is “narrow”?
Depending on how it is used, “narrow” can be an adjective, a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “narrow” come from?
The word “narrow” comes from Old English. From Old English nearu, "narrow, confined", tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to twist or constrict".
Is “narrow” a common word?
“Narrow” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “narrow” have?
“Narrow” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having a small width compared to length; not wide.
What is the difference between narrow and thin?
"Narrow" describes something with a small width compared to its length, such as a narrow road, corridor, or gap. "Thin" describes small thickness or a slim body, as in a thin slice or a thin person. You would call a street narrow but a sheet of paper thin, and swapping them often sounds unnatural.
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