# narrow

/ˈnæɹoʊ/ (US) · /nˈæɹəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/narrow
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. small width

adjective · CEFR A2

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

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

- The car struggled to drive through the narrow streets of the old village.
- 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. limited in scope

adjective · CEFR B1

limited in range, variety, or interest.

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

- The shop has a very narrow selection of shoes to choose from.
- The researcher was criticized for taking a narrow view of the problem, failing to account for the broader social implications of the data.

### 3. by a small margin

adjective · CEFR B2

achieved by a very small amount or margin.

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

- The politician won the election by a narrow margin of only fifty votes.
- The team escaped with a narrow victory after a last-minute goal saved them from an embarrassing draw against the underdogs.

### 4. to make smaller

verb · CEFR B1

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

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

- We need to narrow down the list of hotels before we book one.
- The police have managed to narrow their search to a three-block radius based on the witness statements collected this morning.

### 5. eyes

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- His eyes narrowed as he tried to read the small print on the sign.
- The detective's eyes narrowed in suspicion when the suspect's alibi failed to match the forensic evidence found at the scene.

### 6. data types

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

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

### 7. water passage

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

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

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

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

## Examples

- The car struggled to drive down the narrow street.
- The hikers had to walk in a single line because the mountain path was so narrow.
- The committee reached a narrow consensus after hours of debate, though several members remained concerned that the scope of the new policy was too limited to be effective.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.