narrower; narrowest
1
: long and not wide : small from one side to the other side
a long, narrow table
narrow hallways/passageways
The city's ancient streets are too narrow for buses.
The sofa isn't narrow enough [=it is too wide] to fit through the door.
a narrow path
We crossed at the narrowest part of the river.
His shoulders are very narrow.
2
: including or involving a small number of things or people : limited in range or amount
within the narrow limits allowed by law
They offer a narrow range/choice of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
the study's narrow focus on 30-year-old men
The study was narrow in scope.
a narrow view/perspective of politics
3
: almost not successful : very close to failure
a narrow escape/victory
: almost not enough for success
They won by a narrow [=close, small] margin.
narrows; narrowed; narrowing
1
a
: to make (something) less wide
She narrowed her eyes and stared at me. = She stared at me through narrowed [=partly closed] eyes.
The path was narrowed by overgrowth.
b
: to become less wide
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the words in front of him.
The vase narrows at its top.
2
a
: to make (something) smaller in amount or range
The field has been narrowed [=reduced] from eight to two candidates.
We've been able to narrow [=limit] the search to a three-mile area.
narrowing the range of options
You'll need to narrow the focus of your paper to one central idea.
—often + downThe choices have been narrowed down to two.
To narrow down its pool of applicants, the school made its admission requirements stricter.
b
: to become smaller in amount or range
The gap between their salaries was beginning to narrow.
Cite this Entry
“Narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/narrow. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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