narrow meaning

narrow means 'to make or become less wide or limited'.

narrow :

not wide, limited

adjective

▪ The street is very narrow.

▪ The street is not wide.

▪ She has a narrow view of the topic.

▪ She has a limited view of the topic.

paraphrasing

▪ tight – not wide

▪ limited – not much space

▪ restricted – not wide

▪ confined – limited

narrow :

to make less wide, to limit

verb

▪ They will narrow the road.

▪ They will make the road less wide.

▪ We need to narrow our choices.

▪ We need to limit our choices.

paraphrasing

▪ reduce – to make less

▪ limit – to make smaller

▪ restrict – to make less wide

▪ contract – to make smaller

Pronunciation

narrow [ˈnær.oʊ]

The stress is on 'nar' and sounds like 'na-roh'.

Common phrases and grammar about narrow

narrow - Common meaning

adjective
not wide, limited
verb
to make less wide, to limit

Part of Speech Changes for "narrow"

▪ narrowness (noun) – the quality of being not wide

▪ narrowed (adjective) – made less wide

Common Expressions with "narrow"

▪ narrow down – to limit choices

▪ narrow escape – a close call

▪ narrow path – a not wide path

▪ narrow focus – a limited view

Important examples of narrow in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, narrow often refers to making choices smaller or less wide.

▪We need to narrow down the options.
▪We need to limit the options.

Example of a confusing word: widen (to make wider)

▪We need to widen down the options.
▪We need to make the options broader.
"Narrow" is a verb that means "to reduce in width or scope," often used in the phrase "narrow down," which means to reduce the number of possibilities. In the sentence "We need to narrow down the options," it is used correctly to indicate focusing on fewer choices. "Widen," on the other hand, means "to make broader" and is the opposite of "narrow." The phrase "widen down" is grammatically incorrect because "widen" implies expanding, not reducing. Therefore, "narrow" is the correct choice in this context.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

As a verb, narrow is often used in TOEIC questions to show action of making something less wide or limited.

▪The river narrows here.
▪The river becomes less wide here.

narrow

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

narrow down

'limit choices', used when reducing options.

▪We need to narrow down our list.
▪We need to limit our list.

narrow escape

means 'a close call', used when someone avoids danger just in time.

▪It was a narrow escape from the accident.
▪It was a close call from the accident.

Differences between similar words and narrow

narrow

,

restrict

differences

Narrow means to make less wide, while restrict means to limit or control something.

narrow
▪The path is narrow.
▪The path is not wide.
restrict
▪They restrict access to the building.
▪They limit who can enter the building.

narrow

,

tighten

differences

Narrow means to make less wide, while tighten means to make more secure or firm.

narrow
▪The road will narrow ahead.
▪Make the lid more secure on the jar.
tighten
▪Tighten the lid on the jar.
▪Make the lid more secure on the jar.

Words with the same origin as narrow

The origin of narrow

The word narrow comes from Old English 'nearu', meaning 'of little width'.

Word structure

The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.

Words with the same origin

The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.

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