narrow-minded

adjective

ˈner-(ˌ)ō-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce narrow-minded (audio)
Definition of narrow-mindednext
1
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints it took a while for some of the more narrow-minded members of management to be persuaded to modernize the dress code

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions narrow-minded people who instinctively feared and shunned those from different cultures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of narrow-minded This wicker man becomes a devoted partner, sparking jealousy and malice in her narrow-minded neighbors, exploring themes of love, cruelty, and societal conformity. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026 However, such an observation is short-sighted and narrow-minded. — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026 Anyone proposing to offer a master class on changing the world for the better, without becoming negative, cynical, angry or narrow-minded in the process, could model their advice on the life and work of pioneering animal behavior scholar Jane Goodall. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Knowledge-wise, science may be advancing, but, politically, its powers of persuasion are in retreat, in a moment defined, in many ways, by ignorance and narrow-minded grievance. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for narrow-minded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow-minded
  1. narrow
  2. parochial
  3. bigoted
  4. small
  5. provincial
  6. petty
  7. intolerant
  8. insular
Adjective
  • Totality — when the sun is completely obscured — is only visible within the narrow path of the moon's shadow.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The part east of West Broadway that bleeds into the grit of the Financial District, the skyscrapers so tall and the streets so narrow that sunlight doesn’t reach much at all.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • The league is clearly consumed by athletes with bigoted, demeaning views of white women.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His fortunes started to change in his mid-50s, when he was cast in the 2008, off-Broadway revival of Sarah Kane’s audacious Blasted, as a bigoted and predatory tabloid writer.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • These vines will also happily wind their way around tree trunks and shrubs and fix themselves in place with small rootlets that take on a hairy appearance as poison ivy plants mature.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Tidy a corner and play a favorite song, letting a small routine remind everyone that care comes through simple, repeatable acts.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The national police service did not give more details on the circumstances of the deaths, but said the provincial police commissioner was on the way to the mine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said there were injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and warned residents about aftershocks.
    — Nelson Bocanegra, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • The show finds ways to expose the worst in its characters, their pettiest, most vengeful, greediest parts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond petty crime, the department warned that Belgium remains at risk for terrorist attacks and related activity.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • This product targets millions of lactose-intolerant Americans and those avoiding lactose by choice, reflecting the company's commitment to meeting evolving consumer needs without compromise.
    — Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Most aphids are heat-intolerant and will disappear by midsummer.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2026
Definition of intolerant
Adjective
  • And so there does appear to be an emotional network in the brain — areas like the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and some other areas that seem to confer an emotional component of pain.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Kauai, a rural island of 70,000 people, is tremendously insular and interconnected.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of insular

Browse Nearby Words

narrowly
narrow-minded
narrow-mindedness
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Cite this Entry

“Narrow-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-minded. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of narrow-minded for Spanish Speakers

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