Synonyms of narrow

narrow 1 of 3

adjective

ˈner-(ˌ)ō 

1

as in thin

being of less than usual width

found a narrow opening in the fence that he was able to squeeze through

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thin
• slender
• skinny
• fine
• slim
• tight
• close
• linear
• needlelike
• paper-thin
• elongate
• spare
• condensed
• ultrathin
• compressed
• constricted
• slim-jim
• tightened
• squeezed
• attenuated
• hairline
• lanky
• contracted
• spindly
• reedy
• stringy
• wispy
• attenuate
• willowy
• rangy
• twiggy
• bottleneck
• lank
• stalky
• shoestring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wide
• broad
• fat
• thick
• stocky
• squat
• stumpy
• massive
• chunky
• thickset
• voluminous
• bulky
• thickish
• widish

2

as in small

not broad or open in views or opinions

a narrow person who thought that anyone who even owned a television had been morally corrupted by society

Synonyms & Similar Words

• small
• parochial
• petty
• little
• insular
• narrow-minded
• provincial
• stubborn
• sectarian
• rigid
• illiberal
• small-minded
• picayune
• limited
• Lilliputian
• partisan
• obstinate
• bigoted
• partial
• wrongheaded
• discriminatory
• biased
• ironbound
• inflexible
• obdurate
• dogmatic
• discriminating
• unyielding
• intolerant
• reactionary
• prejudiced
• opinionated
• hidebound
• jaundiced
• stodgy
• old-fashioned
• one-sided
• unsophisticated
• set
• straitlaced
• stuffy
• opinionative
• brassbound
• hick

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open
• liberal
• cosmopolitan
• receptive
• tolerant
• objective
• catholic
• impartial
• unbiased
• unprejudiced
• nonpartisan
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• freethinking

3

as in limited

having distinct or certain limits

a play about human suffering, but in a narrower sense, also about the modern struggles of the working-class poor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• limited
• restricted
• finite
• defined
• definite
• specific
• circumscribed
• bounded
• determinate
• measured
• small
• confined
• detailed
• tiny
• qualified
• constricted
• fixed
• moderate
• modified
• modest
• precise
• exact
• puny
• determined
• settled
• minute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• infinite
• endless
• indefinite
• undefined
• unlimited
• boundless
• limitless
• unbounded
• general
• dimensionless
• immeasurable
• unmeasured
• illimitable
• innumerable
• measureless
• countless
• vague
• unfathomable
• inexhaustible
• bottomless
• large
• incalculable
• unqualified
• nebulous
• indeterminate
• inestimable
• enlarged
• vast
• unreserved
• extensive
• considerable
• broad
• substantial
• expanded
• big
• great
• plentiful
• sizable
• major
• voluminous
• copious
• bulky
• super
• handsome
• whole
• respectable
• goodly
• expansive
• oversize
• hefty
• sweeping
• comprehensive
• ample
• jumbo
• grandiose
• universal
• epic
• inclusive
• global
• bumper
• cosmopolitan
• largish
• escalated
• plenitudinous
• hulking
• overscale
• king-size
• whacking

4

as in close

showing little difference in the standing of the competitors

a narrow gubernatorial contest, the outcome of which may depend upon a handful of votes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• close
• tight
• crowded
• neck and neck
• hairbreadth
• nip and tuck
• down-to-the-wire

5

as in parochial

unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints

tried to convince the narrow members of her family that there are many paths to a successful career that don't involve getting a university degree

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parochial
• provincial
• bigoted
• intolerant
• prejudiced
• narrow-minded
• partial
• partisan
• small-minded
• illiberal
• reactionary
• insular
• hidebound
• blindfolded
• old-fashioned
• biased
• blinkered
• one-sided

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberal
• extreme
• tolerant
• radical
• progressive
• unprejudiced
• objective
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• impartial
• unbiased

narrow

2 of 3

noun

as in bay

Related Words

• bay
• inlet
• lagoon
• roads
• cove
• estuary
• fjord
• embayment
• bight
• port
• anchorage
• harbor
• creek
• roadstead
• arm
• loch
• firth
• lough
• canal
• basin
• gulf
• dock
• strait
• sound
• marina
• haven
• mooring
• harborage
• channel
• home port
• moorage
• seaport
• containerport

narrow

3 of 3

verb

as in to tighten

Related Words

• tighten
• impede
• hinder
• hamper
• obstruct
• block
• restrict
• confine
• constrict
• lessen
• limit
• bar
• squeeze
• contract
• hold down
• pinch
• circumscribe
• number
• repress
• suppress
• cap
• modify
• quell
• qualify

Dissimilar Words

• exceed
• broaden
• widen
• expand
• overreach
• overextend

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of narrow

Adjective

Across all three looks, only a few narrow straps or a toe post covered the foot. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 20 July 2026

Torres had a second goal disallowed, for the narrowest of offside calls. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Noun

Many famed surf spots to the south — like Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre — also have seen the beach narrow precipitously. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

Dutch parliamentary election tests ruling far-right party Dutch voters cast ballots today in a parliamentary election in which a far-right party that led opinion polls for months has seen its advantage narrow into a three-horse race. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025

Verb

The update would significantly narrow who must be involved, staff said. — Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 7 July 2026

These sequences can be used to not only identify the species that the fragments of DNA came from, but also to narrow down the area where the organism originated. — Jenny Whilde, The Conversation, 7 July 2026

Phrases Containing narrow

• narrow (down)
• narrow escape