What is the Latin word for narrow?

The usual Latin words for “narrow” are angustus, artus, contrahō; also perangustus, nīlus, angustō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“narrow” in Latin

angustusnarrow, close, contracted, constricted, confined, small, not spacious; narrow, strait; short, brief artusnarrow; close; fitted; confined; dense; severe; strict; scanty; brief contrahōto draw in, bring or drag several objects together; collect, assemble, gather, amass; to bring about, accomplish, execut perangustusvery narrow nīlusaqueduct angustōto narrow, reduce in width or size coartōto press together, compress, contract, confine; to abridge, shorten (of time); to abridge, compress (of discourse)conclūdōto conclude, finish; to define; to shut up, confine, contain

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

narrow adj.

angustus (not wide; opposed to latus): artus (more correct than arctus, confined, limited; opposed to laxus): contractus (contracted, more cognate with angustus than with artus; hence (The words are found in this connection and order.) contractus et angustus; e.g., Nilus): perangustus (eery narrow). Narrow meaning of a word, *angustior vocis notio: to make narrow, angustum reddere; angustare; coartare; contrahere: to become narrow, in artius coire: the limits of the world are too narrow for him, orbis terrarum eum non capit (after Curt., 7, 8, 12): a narrow road, angustum iter: a narrow entrance, artior introitus: a narrow escape, mostly expressed by vix, aegre: I had a very narrow escape of being, nihil aegrius factum est, multo labore meo, quam ut, etc. (Cic.): or by propius nihil est factum, quam ut, etc. (e.g., occideretur, Cic.): or non multum or paullum (not parum) abfuit, quin: a narrow mind, angustus animus (Cic.): narrow-minded, tenuis animi; angusti animi et parvi; pusilli animi et contracti: he is narrow-minded, ejus animus invidiae angustiis continetur.

narrow v.

coartare; in angustum adducere contrahere or concludere (Cic.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for narrow?: The usual Latin words for “narrow” are angustus, artus, contrahō; also perangustus, nīlus, angustō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.