narrow escape en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /-ɛˈskeɪp/ (General-American)
- /ˌnæɹoʊ əˈskeɪp/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˌnæɹəʊ ɪˈskeɪp/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From narrow (“having a small degree or margin”, adjective) + escape (noun).
Meanings
-
A situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided.
Meredith referred to the turnpike or carriage road constructed by the Tredegar Iron Company alongside the tramroad from Penllwyn Mawr to Tredegar, and said there was no fence between the two; he had experienced narrow escapes at times when on horseback, for horses occasionally took fright when meeting locomotives.
1939 September, Charles E. Lee, “The Sirhowy Valley and Its Railways—I”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 207:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| narrow escapes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
dodge a bullet · by the skin of one's teeth · hair's breadth · cheat death · by a hair's breadth
Synonyms
near miss · close shave · close call
Translations (7)
mi ora pito (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · pl uniknięcie o mały włos (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · bg премеждие (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · mi ora noa (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · fr l’échapper belle (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · fi täpärä pelastuminen (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided) · tl lusót (situation in which some danger or unfortunate circumstance is only just avoided)