ENGLISH
REFERENCE

narrow

adj. · v. · n.
US //ˈnæɹoʊ// UK //nˈæɹəʊ// nar·row
  1. 1 small width (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    having a small distance from one side to the other; not wide.

    having a small width in proportion to length; characterized by a limited distance between lateral boundaries.

    Example

    The car struggled to drive through the narrow streets of the old village.

    Example

    The hikers followed a narrow mountain path that wound precariously along the edge of the cliff, barely wide enough for a single person to pass.
  2. 2 limited in scope (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    limited in range, variety, or interest.

    restricted in scope, variety, or outlook; lacking breadth of perspective.

    Example

    The shop has a very narrow selection of shoes to choose from.

    Example

    The researcher was criticized for taking a narrow view of the problem, failing to account for the broader social implications of the data.
Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 by a small margin (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    achieved by a very small amount or margin.

    barely successful or sufficient; characterized by a minimal margin of difference.

    Example

    The politician won the election by a narrow margin of only fifty votes.

    Example

    The team escaped with a narrow victory after a last-minute goal saved them from an embarrassing draw against the underdogs.
  2. 4 to make smaller (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to become less wide or to make the number of possibilities smaller.

    to reduce the width or extent of something; to decrease the range of options or candidates.

    Example

    We need to narrow down the list of hotels before we book one.

    Example

    The police have managed to narrow their search to a three-block radius based on the witness statements collected this morning.
  3. 5 eyes (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to partly close your eyes to look more closely or show anger.

    to partially close the eyelids, typically to improve focus or to convey suspicion, aggression, or scrutiny.

    Example

    His eyes narrowed as he tried to read the small print on the sign.

    Example

    The detective's eyes narrowed in suspicion when the suspect's alibi failed to match the forensic evidence found at the scene.
  4. 6 data types (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to change a piece of computer data into a smaller type that holds less information.

    to convert a data value to a type with a smaller range or lower precision, potentially resulting in data loss.

    Example

    You have to be careful when you narrow a long number into a smaller integer.

    Example

    The compiler issued a warning because narrowing the floating-point value to an integer would lead to a loss of precision.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and usually refers to primitive types like integers or floats.
  5. 7 water passage (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    a thin part of a river or a small channel of water between two larger areas.

    a narrow part of a body of water, such as a strait or a restricted section of a river.

    Example

    The ship sailed carefully through the narrows to reach the open sea.

    Example

    The fleet was forced to anchor outside the narrows, as the tide was too low for the heavy warships to pass safely into the inner harbour.

    Usage

    Often used in the plural form 'the narrows'.
Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English narwen (“to narrow”); see there for more details, but ultimately derived from the noun.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference