narrow-minded
Closed to alternatives
Narrow-minded describes someone unwilling to consider ideas, opinions, or experiences beyond their own limited perspective.
A narrow-minded person dismisses unfamiliar viewpoints without examination: He's too narrow-minded to appreciate other cultures.
The term carries clear disapproval—it suggests intellectual stubbornness rather than principled disagreement.
Narrow in perspective
- provincialRegional or narrow-minded
- pettyOf little importance
- blinkeredHaving restricted outlook
- myopicUnable to see far
shortsighted · limited · shallow · restricted · circumscribed · localist · inward-looking · clannish
Unwilling to accept ideas
- unimaginativeLacking creative originality
- hideboundRigidly adhering to tradition
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- rigidUnable to bend
obtuse · unperceptive · incurious · uncritical · opinionated · unquestioning · literalist · blinkered
Biased against a group
- racistOne prejudiced by ethnicity
- sexistBiased based on gender
- homophobicPrejudiced against gay people
- xenophobicFearing or hating outsiders
discriminatory · biased · chauvinist · sectarian · ethnocentric · jingoistic · jaundiced · partial
Firmly refusing to yield
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- pigheadedStubbornly refusing to yield
- bullheadedStubbornly refusing to yield
mulish · opinionated · rigid · unbending · uncompromising · dogmatic · hardheaded · entrenched
Adherent to established customs
- conformistOne following accepted norms
- reactionaryAnti-progress political stance
- orthodoxConforming to established belief
- old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
conventional · stuffy · strait-laced · purist · fuddy-duddy · unadventurous · stodgy · stick-in-the-mud
parochial
Narrow in perspective
- provincialRegional or narrow-minded
- pettyOf little importance
- blinkeredHaving restricted outlook
myopic · shortsighted · limited · shallow · restricted · circumscribed · localist · inward-looking · clannish · tribal
unreceptive
Unwilling to accept ideas
- unimaginativeLacking creative originality
- hideboundRigidly adhering to tradition
- inflexibleUnable to bend
rigid · obtuse · unperceptive · incurious · uncritical · opinionated · unquestioning · literalist · blinkered · unthinking
prejudiced
Biased against a group
- racistOne prejudiced by ethnicity
- sexistBiased based on gender
- homophobicPrejudiced against gay people
xenophobic · discriminatory · biased · chauvinist · sectarian · ethnocentric · jingoistic · jaundiced · partial · unfair
obstinate
Firmly refusing to yield
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- pigheadedStubbornly refusing to yield
bullheaded · mulish · opinionated · rigid · unbending · uncompromising · dogmatic · hardheaded · entrenched · immovable
traditionalist
Adherent to established customs
- conformistOne following accepted norms
- reactionaryAnti-progress political stance
- orthodoxConforming to established belief
old-fashioned · conventional · stuffy · strait-laced · purist · fuddy-duddy · unadventurous · stodgy · stick-in-the-mud · prudish
- ___-minded words
- intolerantbigoted, biased, prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant
- hyphenated wordsup-to-date, pitch-black, jaw-dropping, round-the-clock, air-conditioned
- shortsightedmyopic, imprudent, ill-considered, blinkered, tunnel vision
- viewpoint traitsimpartial, objective, biased, neutral, subjective
- intellectintelligence, intellect, brainpower, cognition, smartness
narrow-mindedopen-minded
Receptive to different ideas
broad-minded · open · receptive · free-thinking · large-minded