narrow
narrow — 形容詞
1. describing something whose width is small compared to its length, or smaller tha
狹窄的
兩邊距離小的，不寬的
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.
咖啡館後面的小巷非常狹窄，一次只能讓一個人通過。
collocation: narrow alley / narrow street
With a narrow paintbrush, Élise carefully added gold details to the picture frame.
Élise 用一支細畫筆，小心翼翼地在畫框上添加金色細節。
Through the narrow gap in the fence, Hugo watched the children play in the park.
Hugo 透過圍籬的狹窄縫隙，看著孩子們在公園裡玩耍。
Amira's narrow shoulders made it hard for her to find jackets that fit properly.
Amira 的肩膀很窄，很難找到合身的夾克。
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
狹隘的
範圍或心胸有限的
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.
Christopher 狹隘的世界觀使他難以理解不同的文化。
collocation: narrow view
The job advertisement attracted only a narrow range of applicants with very specific qualifications.
這則徵才廣告只吸引到範圍狹窄的求職者，他們都具備非常特定的資格。
Aylin felt frustrated by the narrow curriculum, which left no room for creativity.
Aylin 對狹隘的課程感到沮喪，因為完全沒有發揮創造力的空間。
The company had a narrow focus on short-term profits rather than long-term growth.
這家公司眼光狹隘，只關注短期利潤，而不考慮長期成長。
- 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
些微；險勝
勝負差距極小的
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.
該候選人以僅僅兩百票的微小差距贏得了選舉。
collocation: narrow margin
Tuan's team secured a narrow victory in the final seconds of the basketball game.
Tuan 的球隊在籃球比賽的最後幾秒驚險地贏得了勝利。
Despite a narrow majority in parliament, the government pushed ahead with the new law.
儘管在國會中僅有微小的多數優勢，政府仍繼續推動新法案。
Dylan passed the driving test by the narrowest possible margin after one small mistake.
Dylan 在犯了一個小錯誤後，以最微小的差距通過了駕照考試。
- 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
僥倖；驚險
勉強避開危險的
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.
Ari 經歷了一場驚險逃脫，一根掉落的樹枝從他頭頂僅幾公分處掠過。
collocation: narrow escape — only noun used with this sense
The hikers had a narrow escape from the wildfire that swept through the valley.
這些登山者勉強逃過了一場席捲山谷的野火。
Vivek's car swerved to avoid a truck in a narrow escape that left him shaking.
Vivek 的車緊急轉彎避開一輛卡車，這場驚險的逃脫讓他顫抖不已。
The family made a narrow escape from their burning house just before the roof collapsed.
這家人趕在屋頂塌陷前從燃燒的房子裡驚險逃出。
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
精確；狹義
範圍明確、仔細精密的
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.
教授對這首詩做了精確的解讀，只關注其語法結構。
collocation: narrow reading
In the narrow sense of the term, a fruit must develop from a flower's ovary.
就該詞的狹義精確定義而言，「果實」必須從花朵的子房發育而來。
collocation: narrow sense
The lawyer argued for a narrow interpretation of the contract clause.
律師主張對合約條款進行嚴格的解釋。
This dictionary defines the word in its narrowest meaning, excluding all metaphorical uses.
這本詞典對這個詞做了最精確狹義的定義，排除了所有比喻用法。
- 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 — 名詞
1. a place where something becomes thinner or more restricted in width, especially
狹窄處；海峽
狹窄的通道或水道
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.
船隻小心翼翼地通過了兩座島嶼之間的海峽狹窄處。
plural form 'narrows' for a strait or channel
The hikers hiked down to the narrow where the river squeezed between the canyon walls.
這群登山客徒步走到河流在峽谷壁之間擠壓而過的狹窄處。
Fishermen know that fish gather in the narrows where the current speeds up.
漁夫們知道魚類會聚集在水流加快的海峽狹窄處。
The map showed a narrow connecting the lake to the open sea.
地圖上標示出一條連接湖泊與開闊海域的狹窄水道。
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 — 動詞
1. to reduce in width, either by itself or through someone's action, making somethi
變窄；使變窄
寬度變小或讓寬度變小
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.
過了橋之後道路突然變窄，駕駛人需要減速。
intransitive: road + narrow
Hugo narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he heard the strange noise.
Hugo 聽到奇怪的聲音時，懷疑地瞇起了眼睛。
transitive: narrow + body part (eyes)
Ari narrowed the waist of the dress to make it fit better.
Ari 把裙子的腰部改窄，讓它更合身。
As the river narrows, the water flows much faster through the rocky channel.
河流變窄時，水流會更快地流過岩石河道。
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
縮小；減少
數量、差距或範圍變小
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.
在一些發展中國家，貧富之間的差距已經縮小。
intransitive: gap + narrow (metaphorical)
Scientists narrowed the list of possible causes down to three main factors.
科學家將可能的原因清單縮小到三個主要因素。
phrasal verb: narrow down
Yumi narrowed her search to apartments within walking distance of the train station.
Yumi 將搜尋範圍縮小到步行可達火車站的公寓。
The difference in test scores between the two classes narrowed throughout the school year.
兩個班級之間考試成績的差距在整個學年中逐漸縮小。
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.