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Added 9 October 2026

narrow

/ˈnæɹəʊ/ noun

In Latin: angustus, artus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about narrow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A narrow strait connecting two bodies of water.

verb

Make or become more narrow or restricted.
The selection was narrowed
Define clearly.
I cannot narrow down the rules for this game
Become more focused on an area of activity or field of study.
She specializes in Near Eastern history

adjective

Not wide.
a narrow bridge
Limited in size or scope.
the narrow sense of a word
Lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view.
a brilliant but narrow-minded judge

Origin

From Middle English narow, narowe, narewe, narwe, naru, from Old English nearu (“narrow, strait, confined, constricted, not spacious, limited, petty; limited, poor, restricted; oppressive, causing anxiety (of that which restricts free action of body or mind), causing or accompanied by difficulty, hardship, oppressive; oppressed, not having free action; strict, severe”), from Proto-West Germanic *naru, from Proto-Germanic *narwaz (“constricted, narrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ner- (“to turn, bend, twist, constrict”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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