tight passages

[/taɪt ˈpæsɪdʒɪz/]
nounpl: tight passages
passagens apertadas
1. narrow or confined spaces through which one must move or pass
The hikers had to navigate through tight passages in the cave.
Os caminhantes tiveram que navegar por passagens apertadas na caverna.
2. difficult or challenging situations that require careful handling
The company faced tight passages during the economic crisis.
A empresa enfrentou passagens apertadas durante a crise econômica.
3. narrow corridors or walkways with limited space
The medieval castle had many tight passages connecting the rooms.
O castelo medieval tinha muitas passagens apertadas conectando os quartos.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'passagens apertadas' is commonly used both literally to describe physical spaces in urban areas, favelas, and caves, and metaphorically to describe difficult economic or social situations. In NYC, similar language refers to both literal cramped subway tunnels/passages and figurative difficult times ('tight squeeze').
NYC Slang
tight squeeze
Synonyms / Sinônimos
narrow passagesconfined spacescramped corridorsbottleneckstight spots
Antonyms / Antônimos
open spaceswide passagesspacious areasbroad corridors

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
passagens apertadas
standard usage throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
passagens apertadas
common in describing favela alleyways
São Paulo
passagens apertadas
used in urban context and traffic terminology
Portugal
passagens estreitas
estreitas is preferred over apertadas in Portugal

Related Words

narrowconfinedpassagecorridorsqueezebottleneck

Related Idioms & Phrases

in tight passages
navigate tight passages
through tight passages
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