narrow
narrow — adjective
1. describing something whose width is small compared to its length, or smaller tha
describing something whose width is small compared to its length, or smaller than what is usual or expected.
The alley was so narrow that only one person could walk through at a time.
collocation: narrow alley / narrow street
With a narrow paintbrush, Élise carefully added gold details to the picture frame.
Through the narrow gap in the fence, Hugo watched the children play in the park.
Amira's narrow shoulders made it hard for her to find jackets that fit properly.
文法句型
narrow + noun
be + narrow
用法筆記
Commonly used with nouns describing physical passages and openings (alley, path, gap, doorway, hallway, street). Both attributive and predicative positions are natural: 'a narrow hallway' and 'the hallway is narrow' are both standard.
常見錯誤
2. restricted in range or variety, marked by an unwillingness to consider different
restricted in range or variety, marked by an unwillingness to consider different ideas, perspectives, or experiences.
Christopher's narrow view of the world meant he struggled to understand different cultures.
collocation: narrow view
The job advertisement attracted only a narrow range of applicants with very specific qualifications.
Aylin felt frustrated by the narrow curriculum, which left no room for creativity.
The company had a narrow focus on short-term profits rather than long-term growth.
- limited
more neutral in tone; lacks the critical judgment that 'narrow' can carry
- restricted
suggests external limitations rather than internal inflexibility
- insular
stronger negative tone; implies isolation and lack of contact with the outside world
- broad
describes wide-ranging interests or inclusive thinking
- open-minded
direct opposite of the attitudinal meaning; describes willingness to consider new ideas
文法句型
narrow + noun (view/range/curriculum)
be + narrow (in outlook/thinking)
用法筆記
When describing people's attitudes or mindsets, this sense often carries a critical tone. Common collocations include 'narrow view', 'narrow outlook', and especially the compound adjective 'narrow-minded'. Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT WIDE) — this sense always describes abstract things, never physical width.
常見錯誤
3. used to describe a result, score, or vote in which the difference between succes
used to describe a result, score, or vote in which the difference between success and failure is extremely small.
The candidate won the election by a narrow margin of only two hundred votes.
collocation: narrow margin
Tuan's team secured a narrow victory in the final seconds of the basketball game.
Despite a narrow majority in parliament, the government pushed ahead with the new law.
Dylan passed the driving test by the narrowest possible margin after one small mistake.
- comfortable
describes a lead or margin that is large enough to feel secure
- decisive
describes a result that is clear and not in doubt
文法句型
narrow + noun (victory/margin/majority/defeat)
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before the noun it modifies ('a narrow victory', 'a narrow majority'). Predicative use is rare and may sound awkward to native speakers — prefer 'the margin was narrow' over 'the victory was narrow'. Distinguish from sense 4 (NARROW ESCAPE): sense 3 is about the closeness of a result or outcome, while sense 4 is about narrowly avoiding danger.
常見錯誤
4. describes a dangerous event that a person manages to avoid only by the smallest
describes a dangerous event that a person manages to avoid only by the smallest possible difference, coming extremely close to being hurt or harmed.
Ari had a narrow escape when a branch missed his head by a few centimetres.
collocation: narrow escape — only noun used with this sense
The hikers had a narrow escape from the wildfire that swept through the valley.
Vivek's car swerved to avoid a truck in a narrow escape that left him shaking.
The family made a narrow escape from their burning house just before the roof collapsed.
文法句型
narrow + noun (escape/miss)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively appears in the fixed collocation 'narrow escape' (or 'narrow miss' for a near-accident involving objects). Other nouns (such as 'accident' or 'incident') do not combine with narrow in this way. Distinguish from sense 3 (JUST ACHIEVED): this sense is about avoiding danger, not about the closeness of a result.
常見錯誤
5. focusing on a very specific aspect or detail, with careful attention to exactnes
focusing on a very specific aspect or detail, with careful attention to exactness rather than broad application; limited to a precisely defined meaning or scope.
The professor gave a narrow reading of the poem, focusing only on its grammatical structure.
collocation: narrow reading
In the narrow sense of the term, a fruit must develop from a flower's ovary.
collocation: narrow sense
The lawyer argued for a narrow interpretation of the contract clause.
This dictionary defines the word in its narrowest meaning, excluding all metaphorical uses.
- precise
more general and positive; lacks the sense of restriction that 'narrow' carries
- meticulous
emphasises attention to detail more than limited scope
- strict
stronger emphasis on rules or boundaries rather than careful analysis
文法句型
narrow + noun (sense/definition/reading/interpretation)
用法筆記
Primarily used in formal, academic, or technical writing to describe precise analysis or a restricted application. Common collocations include 'narrow definition', 'narrow sense', 'narrow reading', and 'narrow interpretation'. Do not confuse with sense 2 (LIMITED) — this sense has a neutral or even positive connotation of careful precision, whereas sense 2 implies insufficiency or lack of openness.
常見錯誤
narrow — noun
1. a place where something becomes thinner or more restricted in width, especially
a place where something becomes thinner or more restricted in width, especially a narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
The boat passed through the narrows between the two islands with great care.
plural form 'narrows' for a strait or channel
The hikers hiked down to the narrow where the river squeezed between the canyon walls.
Fishermen know that fish gather in the narrows where the current speeds up.
The map showed a narrow connecting the lake to the open sea.
文法句型
the narrows
a narrow + of + [water body]
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'the narrows' when referring to a strait or constricted waterway. Also appears in geographical place names (e.g. 'the Narrows' in New York). As a countable noun for a specific physical feature, this sense is less common in everyday speech than the adjective form.
常見錯誤
narrow — verb
1. to reduce in width, either by itself or through someone's action, making somethi
to reduce in width, either by itself or through someone's action, making something less wide than it originally was.
The road narrows suddenly after the bridge, so drivers need to slow down.
intransitive: road + narrow
Hugo narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he heard the strange noise.
transitive: narrow + body part (eyes)
Ari narrowed the waist of the dress to make it fit better.
As the river narrows, the water flows much faster through the rocky channel.
文法句型
narrow + noun (road/eyes/gap)
subject + narrow (road/passage/space)
用法筆記
Can be used both transitively ('the tailor narrowed the trousers') and intransitively ('the path narrows'). Common physical objects used as subjects or objects include road, path, river, hallway, gap, opening, and body parts (especially eyes). The past participle 'narrowed' is often used attributively: 'a narrowed road.'
常見錯誤
2. to decrease in amount, degree, or range, especially when the distance or differe
to decrease in amount, degree, or range, especially when the distance or difference between two things becomes smaller.
The gap between the rich and the poor has narrowed in some developing countries.
intransitive: gap + narrow (metaphorical)
Scientists narrowed the list of possible causes down to three main factors.
phrasal verb: narrow down
Yumi narrowed her search to apartments within walking distance of the train station.
The difference in test scores between the two classes narrowed throughout the school year.
文法句型
narrow + noun (gap/difference/range)
narrow down + noun (options/list/search)
subject + narrow (gap/difference/range)
用法筆記
Subject or object is typically an abstract concept such as a gap, difference, range, set of options, or search scope. The phrasal verb 'narrow down' is very common and means to reduce the number of possibilities. Distinguish from sense 1 (BECOME LESS WIDE) — this sense is always metaphorical and never refers to physical width.