narrow-minded

[ nar-oh-mahyn-did ]

adjective

1. having or showing a prejudiced mind, as persons or opinions; biased.

   Synonyms: self-righteous, illiberal, intolerant, partial, biased, bigoted

   Antonyms: tolerant

2. not receptive to new ideas; having a closed mind.

narrow-minded

adjective

1. having a biased or illiberal viewpoint; bigoted, intolerant, or prejudiced

Derived Forms

• ˌnarrow-ˈmindedly, adverb
• ˌnarrow-ˈmindedness, noun

Other Words From

• narrow-minded·ly adverb
• narrow-minded·ness noun
• un·narrow-minded adjective
• un·narrow-minded·ly adverb
• un·narrow-minded·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of narrow-minded¹

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

The cultures of politics and journalism are too short-sighted and narrow-minded to face up to our predicament.

From Salon

The Republican Party’s narrow-minded “America First” impulses, pushed by former President Donald Trump, have emboldened authoritarian rulers like Vladimir Putin.

From Seattle Times

That friction resulted in growth and development for herself and the narrow-minded people around her.

From Salon

He said he feared that the two great powers, with their nuclear-powered militaries, could accidentally stumble into war, through a mix of excessive nationalism and a narrow-minded approach to competition around the world.

From New York Times

Choo said the questions asked by Cotton were tinged with racism and it was “narrow-minded” to assume that someone who’s ethnically Chinese would be affiliated with China.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• hidebound
• parochial
• petty