1
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
it took a while for some of the more narrow-minded members of management to be persuaded to modernize the dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
narrow-minded people who instinctively feared and shunned those from different cultures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of narrow-minded
However, curiosity can interrupt that narrow-minded thinking, according to Maya Nehru, MA, LMFT, a psychotherapist offering services in anxiety and trauma in San Diego and Washington.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
This wicker man becomes a devoted partner, sparking jealousy and malice in her narrow-minded neighbors, exploring themes of love, cruelty, and societal conformity.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
However, such an observation is short-sighted and narrow-minded.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
Anyone proposing to offer a master class on changing the world for the better, without becoming negative, cynical, angry or narrow-minded in the process, could model their advice on the life and work of pioneering animal behavior scholar Jane Goodall.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
The deficient vice of being open-minded is being narrow-minded.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Knowledge-wise, science may be advancing, but, politically, its powers of persuasion are in retreat, in a moment defined, in many ways, by ignorance and narrow-minded grievance.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
This wicker man becomes a devoted partner, sparking jealousy and malice in her narrow-minded neighbors, exploring themes of love, cruelty, and societal conformity.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
However, such an observation is short-sighted and narrow-minded.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
Anyone proposing to offer a master class on changing the world for the better, without becoming negative, cynical, angry or narrow-minded in the process, could model their advice on the life and work of pioneering animal behavior scholar Jane Goodall.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
The deficient vice of being open-minded is being narrow-minded.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Knowledge-wise, science may be advancing, but, politically, its powers of persuasion are in retreat, in a moment defined, in many ways, by ignorance and narrow-minded grievance.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow-minded
Adjective
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The shoes are held in place by a narrow strap that wrapped the back of the heel, while a slim stiletto and steep pitch kept the profile sharp.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
Instead, opt for small-scale seating with clean, narrow lines.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Each of them was punched in the face as the attacker yelled out his bigoted remarks, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its gibbous disk appears small and featureless.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
Trump has signed executive orders to reduce housing regulatory burdens and help smaller banks provide mortgages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Oilers foundation uses a service provider called Win50, a company accredited by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), a provincial-government regulatory body.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
State Grid currently operates across 26 of mainland China’s 31 provincial-level regions, while China Southern Power Grid covers five southern regions, including Guangdong, reports SCMP.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On the surface, the 50-year-old multimillionaire head coach of LSU getting petty online on a random Saturday in late April is an odd move.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The souring of their relationship has at times bordered on the petty and personal.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Gaza protests had been galvanizing for Republicans, who, even before October 7th, had viewed universities as captured by radical thinking on race and politics, rife with grade inflation, and intolerant of conservatives.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Plants are intolerant of dry summer soil, making summer a stressful time for planting.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The strongest lingering image of Vernon in the broader culture is still the bearded woodsman who retreated to the wilderness with a broken heart and returned with a gnomic, insular album that would against all odds come to define its era, or at least one tendency within it.—
Mitch Therieau,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
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Westmont is a small, insular community often selected for its security — when are people going to start moving out?—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Narrow-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-minded. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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