NARROW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does narrow mean? 

• NARROW (noun)
  The noun NARROW has 1 sense:

1. a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water

  Familiarity information: NARROW used as a noun is very rare.

• NARROW (adjective)
  The adjective NARROW has 5 senses:

1. not wide

2. limited in size or scope

3. lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view

4. very limited in degree

5. characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination

  Familiarity information: NARROW used as an adjective is common.

• NARROW (verb)
  The verb NARROW has 4 senses:

1. make or become more narrow or restricted

2. define clearly

3. become more focused on an area of activity or field of study

4. become tight or as if tight

  Familiarity information: NARROW used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NARROW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A narrow strait connecting two bodies of water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("narrow" is a kind of...):

sound; strait (a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water)

Instance hyponyms:

Verrazano Narrows (a narrow channel of water separating Staten Island and Brooklyn)

Derivation:

narrow (make or become more narrow or restricted)

narrow (not wide)

• NARROW (adjective)

Comparative: narrower   
Superlative: narrowest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not wide

Context example:

a narrow line across the page

Similar:

narrowing; tapered; tapering (becoming gradually narrower)

straplike (long and narrow like a strap)

strait (narrow)

constricting; constrictive; narrowing ((of circumstances) tending to constrict freedom)

narrowed (reduced in size as by squeezing together)

narrow-mouthed (having a narrow mouth)

slender; thin (very narrow)

Also:

thin (of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section)

limited (small in range or scope)

narrow; narrow-minded (lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view)

Attribute:

breadth; width (the extent of something from side to side)

Antonym:

wide (having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other)

Derivation:

narrow (a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water)

narrowness (the property of being narrow; having little width)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Limited in size or scope

Context example:

the narrow sense of a word

Similar:

limited (small in range or scope)

Derivation:

narrowness (a restriction of range or scope)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view

Synonyms:

narrow; narrow-minded

Context example:

narrow opinions

Similar:

petty; small-minded (contemptibly narrow in outlook)

opinionated; opinionative; self-opinionated (obstinate in your opinions)

dogmatic; dogmatical (characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles)

close-minded; closed-minded (not ready to receive to new ideas)

illiberal; intolerant (narrow-minded about cherished opinions)

Also:

narrow (not wide)

Derivation:

narrowness (an inclination to criticize opposing opinions or shocking behavior)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Very limited in degree

Context example:

a narrow escape

Similar:

bare; marginal (just barely adequate or within a lower limit)

Antonym:

wide (great in degree)

Derivation:

narrowness (a small margin)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination

Synonyms:

minute; narrow

Context example:

an exact and minute report

Similar:

careful (exercising caution or showing care or attention)

• NARROW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they narrow    ... he / she / it narrows   
Past simple: narrowed   
Past participle: narrowed   
-ing form: narrowing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make or become more narrow or restricted

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

contract; narrow

Context example:

The road narrowed

Hypernyms (to "narrow" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "narrow"):

bottleneck (become narrow, like a bottleneck)

taper off (become smaller or less active)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

widen (become broader or wider or more extensive)

Also:

narrow down (become more focused on an area of activity or field of study)

Derivation:

narrow (a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water)

narrowing (the act of making something narrower)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Define clearly

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

nail down; narrow; narrow down; peg down; pin down; specify

Context example:

I cannot narrow down the rules for this game

Hypernyms (to "narrow" is one way to...):

determine (fix in scope; fix the boundaries of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "narrow"):

concretize (make something concrete)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Become more focused on an area of activity or field of study

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

narrow; narrow down; specialise; specialize

Context example:

She specializes in Near Eastern history

Hypernyms (to "narrow" is one way to...):

alter; change; vary (become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "narrow"):

overspecialise; overspecialize (become overly specialized)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Become tight or as if tight

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

constrict; constringe; narrow

Context example:

Her throat constricted

Hypernyms (to "narrow" is one way to...):

tighten (become tight or tighter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "narrow"):

astringe (become constricted or compressed)

strangulate (become constricted)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

narrowing (an instance of becoming narrow)

 Context examples 

On the sled, securely lashed, was a long and narrow oblong box.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.

(Asthma, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Never mind what John said, or what a very narrow escape the little bonnet had from utter ruin.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries.

(Atherosclerosis, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Congenital narrowing of a segment of the aorta.

(Aortic Coarctation, NCI Thesaurus)

A chronic respiratory disease manifested as difficulty breathing due to the narrowing of bronchial passageways.

(Asthma, NCI Thesaurus)

It was the narrowest escape for one or all of us.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Narrowing or stricture of the bile duct.

(Bile Duct Stenosis, NCI Thesaurus)

A semisynthetic, narrow spectrum beta-lactamase-resistant penicillin antibiotic with bactericidal and beta-lactamase resistant activity.

(Methicillin, NCI Thesaurus)

Doctors used to believe migraines were linked to the opening and narrowing of blood vessels in the head.

(Migraine, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)