Narrow ˈnærəʊ Narrower Extra Examples I Limited Adjective

• stray dogs wander the steep narrow lanes of the old town.
• the road soon became narrower and steeper.
• a narrow bed/doorway/shelf
• tall narrow windows admit only slivers of light.

narrow

1. measuring a short distance from one side to the other, especially in relation to length
• OPPOSITE broad
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/broad_2
• Stray dogs wander the steep narrow lanes of the old town.
• The road soon became narrower and steeper.
• a narrow bed/doorway/shelf
• Tall narrow windows admit only slivers of light.
• narrow shoulders/hips
• There was only a narrow gap between the bed and the wall.
• Farming is confined to a narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea.
• the narrow confines of prison life

Extra Examples

• The pass gets quite narrow towards the east.
• The rear part of the casing is slightly narrower than the front.
• I sat next to him on the narrow bed.
• The jacket looked very large across his narrow shoulders.
• The producer has a narrow window each year to implement changes.
2. only just achieved or avoided
• a narrow victory
• She was elected by a narrow majority.
• He had a narrow escape when his car skidded on the ice.
• He lost the race by the narrowest of margins.

Extra Examples

• He blamed the goalkeeper for the narrow defeat against Ireland.
• He secured a narrow victory in the presidential elections.
3. limited in variety or numbers
• SYNONYM restricted
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/restricted
• The shop sells only a narrow range of goods.
• She only has a narrow circle of friends.
• The exhibition is disappointingly narrow in scope.
4. limited in a way that ignores important issues or the opinions of other people
• OPPOSITE broad
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/broad_2
• narrow interests
• She has a very narrow view of the world.
• I found the focus of the debate too narrow.

Extra Examples

• Teachers feel that the present curriculum is too narrow.
• His specialization is too narrow to be of interest to more than a handful of students.
• people who are rather narrow in outlook
• The party has a rather narrow political agenda.
5. limited in meaning; exact
• OPPOSITE broad
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/broad_2
• I am using the word ‘education’ in the narrower sense.
6. the honest and morally acceptable way of living
• His wife is trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Word Origin

• Old English nearu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naar ‘dismal, unpleasant’ and German Narbe ‘scar’. Early senses in English included ‘constricted’ and ‘mean’.