1. to become less wide
變窄
The road narrows ahead, so drive carefully.
前方的道路變窄了，請小心駕駛。
The river narrows as it flows through the canyon.
河流流經峽谷時會變窄。
Narrow Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
narrow
verb
快速理解
What does "Narrow" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Narrow"?
「narrow」作動詞時，主要指使某物變窄或範圍變小，或用於描述差距縮小。
- 1
使變窄
EN: to make something less wide
翻譯: 使某物寬度變小。
- 2
縮小範圍
EN: to reduce the number of possibilities or choices
翻譯: 減少可能性或選擇的範圍。
- 3
縮小差距
EN: to reduce the difference or gap between two things
翻譯: 縮小兩者之間的差異或差距。
小提醒：注意「narrow down」是常用片語，意為「縮小範圍至更精確的選項」，例如「narrow down the list of candidates」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Narrow" in English）
How to pronounce "Narrow" in English?"Narrow" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Narrow" from YouTube Videos
Why are these 32 symbols found in caves all over Europe | Genevieve von Petzinger | TED
TED
“When I'm in a cave, I often find myself wondering what drove these people to go so deep, to brave, dangerous and narrow passageways to leave their mark.”
(1 out of 30)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Narrow"?How does "Narrow" change by context?
2. to reduce the number of possibilities or choices
縮小（範圍、可能性等）
We need to narrow down the list of candidates.
我們需要縮小候選人名單。
The police have narrowed their search to the downtown area.
警方已將搜索範圍縮小到市中心區域。
3. to make something less in amount, size, or range
縮減，使變小
The company is narrowing the gap between its prices and its competitors'.
該公司正在縮小其價格與競爭對手之間的差距。
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
她懷疑地眯起了眼睛。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Narrow"?How to make natural sentences with "Narrow"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| narrow + (down) + noun | 縮小、限定（範圍） | We need to narrow our search to the last 24 hours. (我們需要將搜索範圍縮小到過去24小時內。) |
| narrow + (down) + to + noun | 縮小到… | The police have narrowed the suspects down to three people. (警方已將嫌疑犯縮小到三人。) |
| narrow + (down) + from + noun + to + noun | 從…縮小到… | We narrowed the list from fifty candidates to five. (我們將名單從五十位候選人縮小到五位。) |
| narrow + (down) + the + choices/options/possibilities | 縮小選擇/選項/可能性 | Let's narrow down the options before making a decision. (讓我們在做決定前先縮小選項。) |
| narrow + (down) + the + focus | 縮小焦點 | The discussion narrowed down to the main issue. (討論的焦點縮小到了主要問題上。) |
| narrow + (down) + the + gap/difference | 縮小差距/差異 | The new policy aims to narrow the income gap. (新政策旨在縮小收入差距。) |
| narrow + (down) + the + field | 縮小（競爭者）範圍 | The preliminary round will narrow the field to eight teams. (預賽將把參賽隊伍縮減到八隊。) |
用法說明
How is "Narrow" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Narrow"?
narrow down to doing vs narrow down to do
- narrow down to doing 強調最終的結果或確定的選擇，表示範圍縮小到某個具體的、已確定的行動或事物上。
- narrow down to do 則較為少見，若使用通常表示縮小範圍是為了達成某個目的或採取某個行動，帶有目的性或意圖性。
- 在大多數情況下，narrow down to + 名詞/動名詞 (doing) 是標準且自然的用法。
- 使用 narrow down to 時，其後通常接名詞或動名詞，表示選擇或焦點最終落在某個選項上。 EN: After much research, we narrowed down our options to buying the smaller model. 翻譯: 經過大量研究，我們將選擇範圍縮小到購買較小的型號。
EN:They narrowed the list down to three candidates for the final interview.
翻譯:他們將名單縮減到三位候選人進入最終面試。
總結建議
建議使用 narrow down to + 名詞/動名詞 (doing) 來表達最終確定的選擇或焦點。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Narrow" and similar words?How to choose "Narrow" vs alternatives?
narrow vs restrict
「narrow」強調範圍、選擇或可能性的縮小，常指從寬泛變為具體；「restrict」則強調施加限制、規則或條件，以控制或約束活動、權利或數量。
narrow vs limit
「narrow」側重於使某物變窄或減少其範圍、差異或可能性；「limit」則指設定一個明確的邊界、極點或最大量，不允許超越。
narrow vs constrict
「narrow」通常用於抽象範圍、選擇或差異的縮小；「constrict」則更常指物理上的壓縮、收緊，或用於描述感覺上的壓迫與限制。
口語用法
How is "Narrow" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Narrow"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或轉述他人對某事的看法或決定，表示範圍或選擇變小、變少。 EN: So they've narrowed it down to two candidates for the position. 翻譯: 所以他們已經把這個職位的人選縮小到兩位了。
EN:She said she's narrowed her college choices to three.
翻譯:她說她已經把大學的選擇縮小到三所了。
語氣強調
與副詞連用，強調過程的迅速、突然或極端程度。 EN: His eyes narrowed sharply when he heard the news. 翻譯: 聽到這個消息時，他的眼睛立刻銳利地瞇了起來。
EN:The road narrows down to a single lane up ahead, so be careful.
翻譯:前面的路突然縮減成單一車道，所以要小心。
停頓填充
在思考或解釋時，用作填充詞，表示正在進行篩選或聚焦的過程。 EN: We need to, you know, narrow our focus a bit more to be effective. 翻譯: 我們需要，你知道的，再把焦點縮小一點才會有效。
EN:The list is too long, so let's try to... narrow it down somehow.
翻譯:這份清單太長了，所以我們試著...想辦法縮小範圍。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用口語化的填充詞（如「you know」）或過於鬆散的句子結構。建議直接使用「narrow down」、「become narrow」或「limit」等更精確、完整的表達方式。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Narrow"?What fixed phrases with "Narrow" should I remember?
narrow down
phrasal verb
縮小範圍；使變得更具體
narrow one's eyes
verb phrase
瞇起眼睛（通常表示懷疑、專注或審視）
narrow the gap
verb + noun phrase
縮小差距
narrow the focus
verb + noun phrase
縮小焦點；集中關注點
have a narrow escape
verb phrase (idiomatic)
僥倖逃脫；死裡逃生
win/lose by a narrow margin
verb phrase + prepositional phrase
以微弱優勢獲勝/以微小差距落敗
narrow one's options
verb + noun phrase
縮小選擇範圍
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Narrow"?Which "Narrow" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The government is trying to narrow the gap between rich and poor.
✓The government is trying to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
當指涉特定群體或類別時，應使用定冠詞 'the' + 形容詞來表示該群體全體，例如 'the rich'（富人）、'the poor'（窮人）。
×We need to narrow our options down to choose the best one.
✓We need to narrow down our options to choose the best one.
片語動詞 'narrow down' 通常不拆開使用。'Narrow down something' 或 'narrow something down' 都是正確的，但 'narrow something down to' 是常見的後續結構。原句將 'down' 置於不定詞 'to choose' 之前，破壞了片語動詞的完整性。
×His eyes narrowed with suspicion.
✓His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
雖然 'with suspicion' 在文法上並非完全錯誤，但以副詞 'suspiciously' 來修飾動詞 'narrowed' 更為自然、簡潔，是描述眼神變化的常見用法。原句的 'with suspicion' 聽起來較為笨重且不自然。
×The road is narrowing.
✓The road narrows.
在描述客觀事實、永久性或固有特徵時（如道路的寬度變化），通常使用一般現在式，而非現在進行式。現在進行式多用於描述正在發生的暫時性動作或變化。
×They narrowed the cause of the accident to human error.
✓They narrowed down the cause of the accident to human error.
動詞 'narrow' 單獨使用時，通常指物理上的『變窄』或範圍、差異的『縮小』。當語意是『將可能性、選擇或原因縮減至較少數量或特定項目』時，必須使用片語動詞 'narrow down'。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Narrow"?What are tense/participle forms of "Narrow"?
narrows(3rd_singular)narrowing(present_participle)narrowed(past)narrowed(past_participle)