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
Example Sentences
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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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Outside of the narrow narrative of two Western Conference teams playing for identity and clarity ahead of the postseason next week looms a larger picture.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
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Spring visitors have a narrow window to explore before the green hills go brown, summer heat arrives and the education center closes for six months beginning June 1.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 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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But since when did facts get in the way of a Trumpian lie spewed in the name of a bigoted narrative?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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But on Monday, the team waived Jaden Ivey — who had spent a total of only 115 minutes on a basketball court in a Bulls jersey — after the guard went on a series of religious rants on his social media, including a bigoted diatribe against the NBA’s practice of hosting LGBTQ+ pride nights.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But everything is silky and precise to the touch, and the sound astonishingly full and sweet in the small room, with the strain of an accordion coming in through the open window.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Handcrafted in small batches, these blends are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Williams, whose studio is based in London, said for Spring-Summer 2026 she was inspired by the provincial clothes of factory workers, housekeepers and nurses.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
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As party chief, Lam has led Vietnam’s biggest bureaucratic overhaul since the 1980s, cutting jobs, merging ministries, redrawing provincial boundaries and advancing major infrastructure projects.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Season 1 was a full-on sensation, powered by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong's performances as Danny and Amy, two strangers whose petty clash on the road snowballs into a vicious feud.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Coyotes are naturally more intolerant of dogs and humans when pups are on the line.—
Caden Perry,
jsonline.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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The flat logistic curve that makes the rising tide gradual also means the final climb toward 99%-plus reliability is a long one, a meaningful buffer for error-intolerant professions in law, medicine, and engineering.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The strongest lingering image of Vernon in the broader culture is still the bearded woodsman who retreated to the wilderness with a broken heart and returned with a gnomic, insular album that would against all odds come to define its era, or at least one tendency within it.—
Mitch Therieau,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
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Westmont is a small, insular community often selected for its security — when are people going to start moving out?—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Narrow-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-minded. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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