Narrow vs. Thin — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 2, 2024
Narrow focuses on the limited width or breadth of an object or space, suggesting confinement, while thin emphasizes the slimness or slightness of an object's overall dimensions or thickness.
Difference Between Narrow and Thin
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Narrow refers to a limited distance from one side to the other, often implying a restriction in space that could affect movement or the amount of items that can fit within. On the other hand, thin describes an object's or material's slimness or the small measure of its thickness, suggesting a finer or less bulky form.
While narrow spaces or objects can create a feeling of confinement or limitation, such as narrow streets or narrow minds, thinness is usually associated with physical attributes or dimensions, like thin paper or a thin person, highlighting a lack of bulk or mass.
Narrowness often impacts usability or accessibility, as in the case of narrow doorways or narrow choices, where options are limited. Whereas, thinness can refer to the desirable quality of lightweight and easy to handle, as seen in thin laptops or thin clothing materials, indicating ease of use or wear.
In terms of perception, narrow can have a negative connotation when referring to viewpoints or opportunities, suggesting a lack of openness or variety. Thin, however, might be perceived positively or negatively depending on the context, such as being advantageous in technology (thin phones) or concerning when related to health (thin to the point of frailty).
Spatially, narrowness is a key factor in design and architecture, dictating how spaces are navigated and experienced. Thinness, conversely, plays a crucial role in the design and functionality of objects, influencing portability, aesthetics, and performance.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Limited in width or breadth
Limited in thickness or depth
Common Contexts
Spaces, paths, choices
Materials, objects, body descriptions
Connotations
Confinement, restriction
Slimness, sleekness
Impact on Usage
Affects accessibility and movement
Affects weight, portability, and appearance
Perception
Often negative in terms of viewpoints
Can be positive or negative depending on context
Compare with Definitions
Narrow
Limited in width.
The narrow bridge could only accommodate one car at a time.
Thin
Slight in form or build.
He was so thin that his clothes hung loosely.
Narrow
Precisely specified.
The job requires a narrow set of skills.
Thin
Having little thickness or depth.
The thin ice cracked under his weight.
Narrow
Restrictively limited.
She had a narrow escape from the accident.
Thin
Lacking in richness or quality.
The soup was thin and lacked flavor.
Narrow
Limited in scope.
His narrow focus on details often misses the bigger picture.
Thin
Not dense or crowded.
The forest was thin, with sparse trees.
Narrow
Not broad or open in views or opinions.
The narrow-minded policy excluded many potential contributors.
Thin
Of slight intensity or force.
The thin smile did not reach her eyes.
Narrow
Of small or limited width, especially in comparison with length.
Thin
With opposite surfaces or sides that are close or relatively close together
A thin line of paint
Thin slices of bread
Narrow
Limited in area or scope; cramped.
Thin
Having little, or too little, flesh or fat on the body
A thin, gawky adolescent
Narrow
Lacking flexibility; rigid
Narrow opinions.
Thin
Having few parts or members relative to the area covered or filled; sparse
A depressingly thin crowd
His hair was going thin
Narrow
Barely sufficient; close
A narrow margin of victory.
Thin
(of a liquid substance) not containing much solid; flowing freely
Thin soup
Narrow
Painstakingly thorough or attentive; meticulous
Narrow scrutiny.
Thin
Lacking substance or quality; weak or inadequate
The evidence is rather thin
Narrow
(Linguistics) Tense.
Thin
With little thickness or depth
A thin-sliced loaf
Cut the ham as thin as possible
Narrow
To reduce in width or extent; make narrower.
Thin
Make or become less dense, crowded, or numerous
The trees began to thin out
The remorseless fire of archers thinned their ranks
Narrow
To limit or restrict
Narrowed the possibilities down to three.
Thin
Make or become smaller in thickness
Their effect in thinning the ozone layer is probably slowing the global warming trend
Narrow
To become narrower; contract.
Thin
Hit (a ball) above its centre.
Narrow
A part of little width, as a pass through mountains.
Thin
Relatively small in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension
A thin book.
Narrow
A body of water with little width that connects two larger bodies of water.
Thin
Not great in diameter or cross section; fine
Thin wire.
Narrow
A part of a river or an ocean current that is not wide.
Thin
Having little bodily flesh or fat; lean or slender.
Narrow
Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
A narrow hallway
Thin
Not dense or concentrated; sparse
The thin vegetation of the plateau.
Narrow
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
Thin
More rarefied than normal
Thin air.
Narrow
(figuratively) Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.
A narrow interpretation
Thin
Flowing with relative ease; not viscous
A thin oil.
Narrow
Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted
A narrow mind
Narrow views
Thin
Watery
Thin soup.
Narrow
Having a small margin or degree.
A narrow escape
The Republicans won by a narrow majority.
Thin
Sparsely supplied or provided; scanty
A thin menu.
Narrow
(dated) Limited as to means; straitened
Narrow circumstances
Thin
Having a low number of transactions
Thin trading in the stock market.
Narrow
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
Thin
Lacking force or substance; flimsy
A thin attempt.
Narrow
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
Thin
Lacking resonance or fullness; tinny
The piano had a thin sound.
Narrow
(phonetics) Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; distinguished from wide.
Thin
Lacking radiance or intensity
Thin light.
Narrow
A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.
The narrows of New York harbor
Thin
Not having enough photographic density or contrast to make satisfactory prints. Used of a negative.
Narrow
(transitive) To reduce in width or extent; to contract.
We need to narrow the search.
Thin
In a thin manner
Spread the varnish thin if you don't want it to wrinkle.
Narrow
(intransitive) To get narrower.
The road narrows.
Thin
So as to be thin
Cut the cheese thin.
Narrow
(of a person or eyes) To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.
He stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes to slits.
She wagged her finger in his face, and her eyes narrowed.
Thin
To make or become thin or thinner.
Narrow
(knitting) To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Thin
Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
Thin plate of metal;
Thin paper;
Thin board;
Thin covering
Narrow
To convert to a data type that cannot hold as many distinct values.
To narrow an
int variable to a short variableThin
Very narrow in all diameters; having a cross section that is small in all directions.
Thin wire;
Thin string
Narrow
Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem.
Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas.
Thin
Having little body fat or flesh; slim; slender; lean; gaunt.
Thin person
Narrow
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world.
Thin
Of low viscosity or low specific gravity.
Water is thinner than honey.
Narrow
Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near{5}; - with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow miss; a narrow majority.
Thin
Scarce; not close, crowded, or numerous; not filling the space.
The trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin.
Narrow
Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.
Thin
(golf) Describing a poorly played golf shot where the ball is struck by the bottom part of the club head. See fat, shank, toe.
Narrow
Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views.
Thin
Lacking body or volume; small; feeble; not full.
Narrow
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
A very narrow and stinted charity.
Thin
Slight; small; slender; flimsy; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering.
A thin disguise
Narrow
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
But first with narrow search I must walk roundThis garden, and no corner leave unspied.
Thin
(aviation) Of a route: relatively little used.
Narrow
Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; - distinguished from wide; as ē (ēve) and Ō (fŌd), etc., from ĭ (ĭll) and Ŏ (fŎt), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, 13.
Thin
Poor; scanty; without money or success.
Narrow
A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; - usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor.
Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerousnarrow.
Thin
(philately) A loss or tearing of paper from the back of a stamp, although not sufficient to create a complete hole.
Narrow
To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of.
Thin
Any food produced or served in thin slices.
Chocolate mint thins
Potato thins
Wheat thins
Narrow
To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion.
Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings.
Thin
(transitive) To make thin or thinner.
Narrow
To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Thin
(intransitive) To become thin or thinner.
The crowds thinned after the procession had passed: there was nothing more to see.
Narrow
To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.
Thin
To dilute.
Narrow
Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows.
Thin
To remove some plants or parts of plants in order to improve the growth of what remains.
Narrow
To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.
Thin
Not thickly or closely; in a scattered state.
Seed sown thin
Narrow
A narrow strait connecting two bodies of water
Thin
Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering.
Narrow
Make or become more narrow or restricted;
The selection was narrowed
The road narrowed
Thin
Rare; not dense or thick; - applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin air.
In the day, when the air is more thin.
Satan, bowing lowHis gray dissimulation, disappeared,Into thin air diffused.
Narrow
Define clearly;
I cannot narrow down the rules for this game
Thin
Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin.
Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people.
Narrow
Become more special;
We specialize in dried flowers
Thin
Not full or well grown; wanting in plumpness.
Seven thin ears . . . blasted with the east wind.
Narrow
Become tight or as if tight;
Her throat constricted
Thin
Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a person becomes thin by disease.
Narrow
Not wide;
A narrow bridge
A narrow line across the page
Thin
Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not full.
Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable screams.
Narrow
Limited in size or scope;
The narrow sense of a word
Thin
Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a thin disguise.
My tale is done, for my wit is but thin.
Narrow
Lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view;
A brilliant but narrow-minded judge
Narrow opinions
Thin
Not thickly or closely; in a seattered state; as, seed sown thin.
Spain is thin sown of people.
Narrow
Very limited in degree;
Won by a narrow margin
A narrow escape
Thin
To make thin (in any of the senses of the adjective).
Narrow
Characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination;
A minute inspection of the grounds
A narrow scrutiny
An exact and minute report
Thin
To grow or become thin; - used with some adverbs, as out, away, etc.; as, geological strata thin out, i. e., gradually diminish in thickness until they disappear.
Thin
Lose thickness; become thin or thinner
Thin
Make thin or thinner;
Thin the solution
Thin
Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture;
Cut bourbon
Thin
Take off weight
Thin
Of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section;
Thin wire
A thin chiffon blouse
A thin book
A thin layer of paint
Thin
Lacking excess flesh;
You can't be too rich or too thin
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look
Thin
Very narrow;
A thin line across the page
Thin
Having little substance or significance;
A flimsy excuse
Slight evidence
A tenuous argument
A thin plot
Thin
Not dense;
A thin beard
Trees were sparse
Thin
Relatively thin in consistency or low in density; not viscous;
Air is thin at high altitudes
A thin soup
Skimmed milk is much thinner than whole milk
Thin oil
Thin
(of sound) lacking resonance or volume;
A thin feeble cry
Thin
Lacking spirit or sincere effort;
A thin smile
Thin
Without viscosity;
The blood was flowing thin
Common Curiosities
What does it mean when something is described as narrow?
Narrow refers to something that is limited in width or breadth, often implying a restriction in space.
How does thin differ from narrow?
Thin focuses on the slimness or slightness in thickness or depth, rather than the width or breadth.
Why is being narrow sometimes seen negatively?
Being narrow can imply limitations, restrictions, or a lack of openness, which can be perceived negatively.
In what contexts is thinness valued?
Thinness is often valued in contexts like technology and fashion, where slimness and lightweight are desirable.
What role does thinness play in product design?
Thinness can influence the aesthetics, portability, and usability of products, making them more appealing and practical.
Can a material be both narrow and thin?
Yes, a material can be both narrow and thin, indicating it has a limited width and is slim or not thick.
Can a road be both narrow and thin?
A road can be described as narrow in terms of its width, but it is less common to refer to a road's surface as thin.
Does narrow always imply something negative?
Not always; in some contexts, narrow can simply describe physical dimensions without a negative connotation.
What impact does narrowness have on movement?
Narrowness can limit movement, making spaces harder to navigate and sometimes creating bottlenecks.
How can thinness be a concern?
Thinness can be a concern when it affects the durability of materials or is associated with health issues in individuals.
How does narrowness affect design?
Narrowness can dictate the functionality and accessibility of spaces, affecting how they are designed and navigated.
Is a narrow perspective the same as being narrow-minded?
Yes, a narrow perspective typically refers to being narrow-minded, which means having a limited viewpoint.
How is thinness perceived in electronics?
In electronics, thinness is generally perceived positively, as it suggests advanced technology and portability.
Why might someone prefer thin materials?
Thin materials might be preferred for their lightweight, sleekness, and ease of handling or wearing.
What are examples of narrow choices?
Narrow choices refer to a limited range of options, often implying a restriction in variety or freedom to choose.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
