narrow en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio non-Mary-marry-merry
- /ˈnæɹəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio Mary-marry-merry
- /ˈnaɾou/ (Wales) without the toe–tow merger
- (UK) audio
- /ˈnɛɹoʊ/ Mary–marry–merry merger
- /ˈnaɾo/ (Scotland)
- /ˈnæɹoʊ/ without the Mary–marry–merry merger
Etymology
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”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian naar, noar, noor, nåår (“narrow”), Saterland Frisian noar (“narrow”), Dutch naar (“nasty, scary; sickening, unpleasant”), Danish and Swedish nor (“narrow strait”); also Sanskrit नृत् (nṛt, “to dance; act on stage, represent”).
Meanings
-
Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.
1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field. A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that.
2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 07 Sep 2013:Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:a narrow hallway
-
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world.
1675, John Wilkins, Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion:
-
(figuratively) Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.
a narrow interpretation
-
(alt-of, contracted) Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted.
alt of limited scope
narrow views
a narrow mind
-
Having a small margin or degree.
As in their narrow defeat of Argentina last week, England were indisciplined at the breakdown, and if Georgian fly-half Merab Kvirikashvili had remembered his kicking boots, Johnson's side might have been behind at half-time.
2011 September 18, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 27 Nov 2021:The Republicans won by a narrow majority.
Although we lost the election by the narrowest of margins, the people of Oregon heard a great deal about education, and particularly about how "look-say" reading instruction was hardshipping Oregon school children.
1970, Reading Reform Foundation, The Annual Reading Reform Foundation Conference, page 47:[…] it is unclear whether the beatings of potential political opponents are a governmentwide strategy or a narrower effort by Mr. Mugabe’s backers to shore up his remaining power.
2007 March 29, Michael Wines, “Zimbabwean Leaders Accused of Abducting Opponents”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 22 Jun 2020:a narrow escape
-
(dated) Limited as to means; straitened
narrow circumstances
-
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
a very narrow […] and stinted charity
a. 1719, George Smalridge, The Hopes of a Recompense from Men must not be our chief Aim in doing Good:
-
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
But first with narrow search I must walk round / This garden, and no corner leave unspied.
1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- 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
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| narrower | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| narrowest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| narrowe | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
narrowing · narrow-assed · narrow-winged tree cricket · narrowhead · narrow-gutted · narrow-spectrum · narrow-angle lens · narrow-cut · narrow-leaved mallee · narrow work · narrowcast · narrow-banded dartwhite · narrowleaf · narrow AI · narrow-width effect · overnarrow · narrow-nosed rhino · narrow-bellied seahorse · narrowband · narrow gauge · narrow-sighted · narrow cloth · narrower · supernarrow · narrow transcription · straight and narrow · narrow squeak · narrow-nosed rhinoceros · unnarrow · narrowboat · narrow-leaf ash · narrow-gauge · narrow bank · go narrow · narrowish · narrow-souled · narrow house · narrow artificial intelligence · narrow angle · narrowsome · narrow-minded · narrow-gage · narrow minded · narrow escape · narrowfield · narrow banking · narrow mindedness · narrow boat · narrow-fisted · narrowbody · ultranarrow · narrow construction · narrow-leaved poison · narrow sea · narrow tailoring · narrow road
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
narrow · thin · tight · slender · filamentous · slim · fine · strait · close
Translations (235)
es angosto (having small width) · ur تنگ (having small width) · ist strento (having small width) · sc istrintu (having small width) · oc estreit (having small width) · de mittellos (limited as to means; straitened; pinching) · th แคบ (having small width) · sga coíl (having small width) · tyv тар (having small width) · uz tor (having small width) · lv šaurs (having small width) · fi suppea (phonetics: formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate) · bg ограничен (of little extent; very limited; circumscribed) · yi שמאָל (having small width) · fy smel (having small width) · pl cienki (having small width) · wa stroet (having small width) · fi kapea (of little extent; very limited; circumscribed) · eo mallarĝa (having small width) · sq i ngushtë (having small width) · mga cáel (having small width) · fi ahdas (restrictive; without flexibility or latitude) · qu kicki (having small width) · is þröngur (having small width) · rm stretg (having small width) · fi niukka (having a small margin or degree) · my ကျဉ်း (having small width) · sv trång (having small width) · arz ضيق (having small width) · zza teng (diq) (having small width) · ast apertáu (having small width) · chr ᏯᏙᏟ (having small width) · fi puutteellinen (limited as to means; straitened; pinching) · uk ву́зький (having small width) · sv långsmal (having small width) · ltg šaurs (having small width) · rap vakavaka (having small width) · enm narwe (having small width) · li smaal (having small width) · ca estret (having small width) · ht jis (having small width) · ko 좁다 (having small width) · gur mika (having small width) · ky тар (having small width) · csb wąsczi (having small width) · vi chật hẹp (having small width) · sa अंहु (having small width) · fi ahdas (having small width) · it angusto (having small width) · da snæver (having small width) · sh у̏зак (having small width) · kk тар (having small width) · fi pihi (parsimonious; niggardly) · sl ozek (having small width) · sga cumung (having small width) · ca angost (having small width) · nn smal (having small width) · tyz cặp (having small width) · zdj -samivu (having small width) · nrf êtrait (having small width) · rap rikiriki (having small width) · de genau (scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact) · grc στενός (having small width) · fi kapea (having small width) · pt estreito (having small width) · ary مضيق (having small width) · nl nauw (having small width) · gl angosto (having small width) · da tæt (having small width) · kdr tar (having small width) · gd cumhang (having small width) · zea smal (having small width) · de bigott (contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted.) · cmn 窄 (having small width) · id sempit (having small width) · de exakt (scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact) · sv smal (having small width) · es estrecho (having small width) · mhr аҥысыр (having small width) · fi ahdas (contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted.) · ru те́сный (having small width) · pt estreita (having small width) · rup ngustu (having small width) · tab дар (having small width) · os нарӕг (having small width) · vi hẹp (having small width) · lo ຄັບ (having small width) · kjh тар (having small width) · tet kloot (having small width) · sh уски (having small width) · de schmal (having small width) · ttj -funda (having small width) · dsb wuski (having small width) · dsb huzki (having small width) · nl smal (having small width) · mk тесен (having small width) · ce готта (having small width) · hu keskeny (having small width) · vec strento (having small width) · myv тея (having small width) · kum тар (having small width) · hu szűk (having small width) · jv sesak (having small width) · ru у́зкий (having small width) · hi तंग (having small width) · mn нарийн (having small width) · enm narwe (limited as to means; straitened; pinching) · bg те́сен (having small width) · esh تینگ (having small width) · myv теине (having small width) · crh tar (having small width) · scn strittu (having small width) · ht jennen (having small width) · fi kapea-alainen (of little extent; very limited; circumscribed) · fi rajoittunut (of little extent; very limited; circumscribed) · my ကျဉ်းကျပ် (having small width) · km ចង្អៀត (having small width) · gag дар (having small width) · ba тар (having small width) · it stretto (having small width) · gl estreito (having small width) · de eng (having small width) · ja 狭い (having small width) · lt siauras (having small width) · bg щателен (scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact) · ttj -taito (having small width) · hy նեղ (having small width) · li nej (having small width) · la angustus (having small width) · be ву́зкі (having small width) · ko 좁은 (having small width) · bg подробен (scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact) · te సన్నని (having small width) · pdt enj (having small width) · tr dar (having small width) · ast estrechu (having small width) · nb trang (having small width) · cu ѫзъкъ (having small width) · mt dojoq (having small width) · gag dar (having small width) · vi chật (having small width) · af smal (having small width) · mdh magaget (having small width) · fr étroit (having small width) · de engherzig (contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted.) · eo streta (having small width) · gl apertado (having small width) · ro îngust (having small width) · kim тар (having small width) · fur stret (having small width) · sh ȕzak (having small width) · cs úzký (having small width) · got 𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌿𐍃 (having small width) · inh готта (having small width) · bo དོག་པོ (having small width) · ga caol (having small width) · ro strâmt (having small width) · sq shtrreit (having small width) · de beschränkt (restrictive; without flexibility or latitude) · ckb تەسک (having small width) · ast anguiláu (having small width) · tk dar (having small width) · sh uski (having small width) · cy cul (having small width) · fo smalur (having small width) · xnb ʼanuupica (having small width) · wa stroete (having small width) · fo trongur (having small width) · orv узъкъ (having small width) · el στενός (having small width) · gd caol (having small width) · alt тар (having small width) · izh pätärä (having a small margin or degree) · fo snævur (having small width) · ta குறுகிய (having small width) · de unflexibel (restrictive; without flexibility or latitude) · vi eo hẹp (having small width) · cjs тар (having small width) · yi ענג (having small width) · fi ahdas (of little extent; very limited; circumscribed) · pdt schmaul (having small width) · uk вузьки́й (having small width) · fo trongligur (having small width) · xsr དོག་པུ (having small width) · ca estreta (having small width) · ar ضَيِّق (having small width) · acw ضَيِّق (having small width) · tg танг (having small width) · lus zím (having small width) · fi täpärä (having a small margin or degree) · ms sempit (having small width) · sc strintu (having small width) · rue узкый (having small width) · yue 窄 (having small width) · oc estrech (having small width) · vec strent (having small width) · sah синньигэс (having small width) · tt тыгыз (having small width) · de arm (limited as to means; straitened; pinching) · et kitsas (having small width) · vec streto (having small width) · eu estu (having small width) · krc тар (having small width) · nog тар (having small width) · pl wąski (having small width) · te ఇరుకైన (having small width) · ka ვიწრო (having small width) · da smal (having small width) · de begrenzt (having small width) · mba malig-ut (having small width) · sah кыараҕас (having small width) · fi tarkka (scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact) · az dar (having small width) · nb smal (having small width) · fa تنگ (having small width) · fi niukka (limited as to means; straitened; pinching) · sk úzky (having small width) · om dhiphoo (having small width) · bcl hayapit (having small width) · ary مضيقة (having small width) · rup strãmtu (having small width) · nn trong (having small width) · eo malvasta (having small width) · fi kapeakatseinen (contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted.) · cu ⱘⰸⱏⰽⱏ (having small width) · he צר (having small width) · ug تار (having small width) · ga cúng (having small width) · vec stret (having small width) · la artus (having small width) · mbb meliɣet (having small width) · enm narwe (restrictive; without flexibility or latitude) · mdf тесна (having small width) · ee xáxɛ́ (having small width) · tt тар (having small width)