narrow-minded
UK[ˌnærəʊ ˈmaɪndɪd]US[ˌneroʊ ˈmaɪndɪd]
adj
not willing to listen to or accept ideas that are new or different from your own; having a limited perspective.
Morpheme Breakdown
narrow
mind
ed
narrow
limited
mind
thought
ed
characterized by
Etymology
the compound adjective "narrow-minded" is a relatively modern english formation, emerging in the 17th century. it is built from the native english elements "narrow," which descends from proto-germanic narwaz meaning "tight, constricted," and "mind," from proto-germanic ga-mundiz meaning "memory, thought." the suffix "-ed" is added to the noun "mind" to create an adjectival form meaning "having a mind of a certain kind." the logic of the word is transparently metaphorical: a mind that is figuratively "narrow" or constricted is one that is not open to new or different ideas, directly linking the physical concept of tightness to an intellectual limitation.
Analysis
Structure: narrow (limited) + mind (thought) + ed (characterized by)
- narrow: from old english nearu meaning "constricted, limited"; functions as an adjective describing a quality of being restricted.
- mind: from old english gemynd meaning "memory, thought, intellect"; functions as a noun representing the faculty of thought.
- ed: a middle english suffix from old english -ede, used to form adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, characterized by".
Examples
his narrow-minded views on education prevented him from considering alternative teaching methods.
living in a small town can sometimes lead to a narrow-minded outlook if one is not exposed to diverse cultures.
she was criticized for being too narrow-minded to appreciate the artistic value of the avant-garde exhibit.