細道・ほそ道|ほそみちhosomichi[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounnarrow path; narrow lane

• Synonym小道こみちNeutralGeneral word for a narrow path, including ones in fields or gardens. 「細道」 stresses how narrow the path is and has a literary flavor, as in 「奥の細道」.
• Synonym小路こうじNeutralAnother way of writing 「小道」, read 「こみち」; the same word for a narrow path, largely interchangeable with 「細道」.
• Synonym小径しょうけいWrittenA written, formal word for a narrow path, common in literary and garden descriptions; also means small diameter, a sense 「細道」 lacks.
• Related路地ろじNeutralA narrow lane between buildings, mostly in town; 「細道」 can be rural as well as urban.
• Related横丁よこちょうNeutralA small street leading off a main road, with the buildings along it, often a dining and drinking quarter; 「細道」 refers only to the narrow path itself.
• Antonym大通りおおどおりNeutralBroad main street in a city, the opposite of the narrow path 「細道」 describes.

For an everyday narrow path, 「小道」 is the usual word; for narrow lanes in town, use 「路地」 or 「横丁」. 「細道」 stresses the narrowness of the path and has a literary flavor. For a wide main street, say 「大通り」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 幅はばが狭せまく細ほそい道みち。