狭隘(きょうあい)

きょうあい
noun, na-adjective
narrow; cramped; confined
formaldescriptive
1. narrow; cramped; confined; tight
Physically narrow or cramped, describing roads, spaces, or areas that are too small or confined for comfortable use.
狭隘(きょうあい)な道路(どうろ)。
A narrow road.
この地域(ちいき)は狭隘(きょうあい)な路地(ろじ)が多(おお)く、消防車(しょうぼうしゃ)が入(はい)れない。
This area has many narrow alleyways, and fire trucks cannot get through.
狭隘(きょうあい)な住宅(じゅうたく)環境(かんきょう)が問題(もんだい)になっている。
Cramped housing conditions have become a problem.
2. narrow-minded; parochial
Figuratively describes a person's perspective or thinking as limited, intolerant, or lacking breadth.
狭隘(きょうあい)な考(かんが)え方(かた)。
A narrow-minded way of thinking.
狭隘(きょうあい)な視野(しや)にとらわれず、広(ひろ)い視点(してん)で物事(ものごと)を見(み)るべきだ。
You should see things from a broad perspective without being trapped by a narrow viewpoint.
狭隘(きょうあい)な民族(みんぞく)主義(しゅぎ)は国際(こくさい)社会(しゃかい)で孤立(こりつ)を招(まね)く。
Narrow-minded nationalism leads to isolation in the international community.

A formal word combining 狭(きょう) (narrow) and 隘(あい) (tight pass, bottleneck). Used for both physical narrowness and figurative narrow-mindedness.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 狭(せま)い: narrow; small — everyday word for physical smallness; much more common in conversation
  • 窮屈(きゅうくつ): cramped; tight — describes the feeling of being in a tight space or situation
  • 偏狭(へんきょう): bigoted; narrow-minded — specifically for intolerant attitudes

Register

Formal and literary. Common in urban planning, official documents, and written critiques. In everyday speech, 狭(せま)い is used instead.

Related Words

Compare: 狭(せま)い (narrow)
Compare: 窮屈(きゅうくつ) (cramped)
general
Added 2026.4.5 13:05 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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