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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of narrow-minded
However, curiosity can interrupt that narrow-minded thinking, according to Maya Nehru, MA, LMFT, a psychotherapist offering services in anxiety and trauma in San Diego and Washington.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
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
The deficient vice of being open-minded is being narrow-minded.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 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
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
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
The deficient vice of being open-minded is being narrow-minded.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 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
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow-minded
Adjective
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The five-time Masters champ was arrested March 27 on a DUI charge after the crash, which occurred when his Land Rover SUV attempted to pass a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaner trailer on a narrow, two-lane road in the Treasure Coast town.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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The company also topped revenue expectations for the first quarter and posted a narrower-than-expected loss than analysts anticipated, according to FactSet.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Each of them was punched in the face as the attacker yelled out his bigoted remarks, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Eggs, sushi, and crypto The account paid attention to smaller stories, too.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
East is a boutique hotel, some condos, and a small residential neighborhood with a few local restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
There are two teenage boys in the film, Haruki (Waku Kawaguchi) and Keita (Kiyora Fuiwara), whose inchoate erotic feelings for one another, a love that can still barely say its name in provincial Japan, forms a subplot here.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The trade war’s latest turn Those provincial restrictions remained in place even after the two countries reached a partial deal exempting about half of USMCA‑compliant goods from ongoing tariffs in summer 2025, leading Canada to scale back some retaliatory levies.—
Andrew Muhammad,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Of course, David went on to build one of the most illustrious careers in television with characters who are often arrogant, petty and unlikable by traditional media standards.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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Middle school is, famously, a time of petty cruelty and small-scale social Darwinism.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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How to manage a susceptible, intolerant rose Roses that are both susceptible and intolerant to disease despite proper care should be shovel-pruned and replaced with cultivars that thrive with little or no disease.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
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The Gaza protests had been galvanizing for Republicans, who, even before October 7th, had viewed universities as captured by radical thinking on race and politics, rife with grade inflation, and intolerant of conservatives.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Fraternal orders, like the Elks, used these shows to build the insular networks that launched political careers all the way to the White House.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
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The narrative follows his life through major events such as World War I and the Great Depression and into the mid-20th century, unfolding in the insular world of academia, where Stoner faces personal and professional struggles with quiet resilience.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Narrow-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-minded. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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