Basic+ Word of the Day: narrow

narrow (adjective, verb) past tense: narrowed

A narrow street

Narrow means ‘not wide.’

• Their alley was too narrow for the large truck.
• The bedroom was so narrow that there was only room for a bed.
• When Mother is angy, her eyes become narrow.

Narrow also means ‘almost not successful.’

• The woman made a narrow escape from the house fire.

Narrow can also mean ‘to limit the size or width.’

• Be careful; the road narrows ahead.
• The political candidate promised to narrow the gap between rich and poor.

Narrow can also mean ‘to limit or restrict.’

• After considering several new cars, Felice narrowed her options to two.
• The detective narrowed down the search to three suspects.

Common uses

narrow minded: someone who doesn’t want to consider other peoples’ opinions: “Although I tried to explain my position, my boss was so narrow minded that he didn’t even listen.”

Did you know?

Narrows, always with a final s, is the narrow part of a river.

In pop culture

Listen to They Might Be Giants singing “Narrow Your Eyes.” Why do you think his lover narrows her eyes? (Read the lyrics in the comments.)

There are other meanings of narrow.