Denotative and Connotative Words

One word can have a both a “denotation” and a “connotation”. These are called
“figures of speech”. DENOTATION: The direct definition of the word that
you find in the dictionary. CONNOTATION: The emotional suggestions of a
word, that is not literal.

When you look up a word in the dictionary, you will find its literal, or
denotative, meaning. This is the basic definition of the word. However, many
words - especially nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs - also have an
emotional side.

Though not part of the official dictionary definition, the emotions and
associations connected to a word are known as its connotative meaning.
Depending on how a word has been used over time, it may have a positive,
negative or neutral connotation.

The Importance of Connotation

To fully understand a word and use it correctly, you need to know both its
denotation (the standard definition) and its connotation (the feelings associated
with it). If you aren't fully aware of a word's connotation, you may choose an
inappropriate synonym in your writing, which can lead to confusion or even to
your reader taking offense.

For example, consider the words "group," "clique" and "club." All three have
basically the same denotative meaning: a set of more than one person. Each of
these words has a different connotative meaning, however.

"Group" has a neutral connotation, because it simply describes a number of

people. It does not inspire either positive or negative feelings.

"Clique," also means a group of people, but it carries a negative connotation.

This is because "clique" is typically used in circumstances where the group is
known for excluding others. This word should be used carefully: If you want to
be thought of as a welcoming group, the negative connotation of this word will
turn people off!

Likewise, "club" also refers to a group of people, but this word has a more
positive connotation because a club is a collection of people that voluntarily
come together for a shared passion or purpose.

As you can see, it's important to understand the connotation as well as the
denotation of a word before you use it. Otherwise, you run the risk of picking a
word out of a thesaurus that is out of place and doesn't help get your full idea
across.

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Connotative Words: Examples and Exercises

To see more example of how words with similar denotations can have positive,
neutral or negative connotations, refer to the chart below:

Positive Connotation Neutral Connotation Negative Connotation

interested questioning nosy
employ use exploit
thrifty saving stingy
steadfast tenacious stubborn
sated filled crammed
courageous confident conceited
unique different peculiar
meticulous selective picky
vintage old decrepit
elated happy manic

Now that you're more familiar with connotative words see how well you do with
these fun exercises:

Connotation Exercise 1

Below are groups of similar words used to describe people? What is the
connotation of each word?

1. Childlike, Youthful, Childish, Young

2. Disabled, Crippled, Handicapped, Retarded
3. Relaxed, Laid-back, Lackadaisical, Easygoing
4. Slim, Skinny, Slender, Thin
5. Cheap, Frugal, Miserly, Economical
6. Adolescent, Immature, Juvenile, Innocent
7. Inquisitive, Interested, Curious, Prying
8. Confident, Secure, Proud, Egotistical
9. Lovely, Knockout, Beautiful, Stunning
10. Talkative, Conversational, Chatty, Jabbering

Connotation Exercise 2

Read the sentences below. Can you identify the words that have a negative
connotation?

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 1. Bedford is a gritty neighborhood, but the rents are low.
2. On my flight to Los Angeles, I sat next to this babe. She was absolutely
stunning.
3. Every morning my neighbor takes his mutt to the park. It always barks
loudly when leaving the building.
4. You need to be pushy when you are looking for a job.
5. Bob is bullheaded sometimes, but he always gets the job done.

Use Context to Get a Sense of the Word

It takes practice to understand both the connotation and denotation of a new

word, but it's well worth the effort to do so. The best way to learn a word's
connotation is to read it in a sentence or two to get a sense of how it is used.
You can also compare how synonyms are used to understand which ones are
positive, negative or neutral to help you select the best word for your purposes.

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Answers for Exercise 1:

1. "Childish" has a negative connotation implying an adult behaving

immaturely. "Youthful" implies lively and energetic, while "childlike"
implies a sense of wonder, so both are positive. "Young" is neutral.
2. "Crippled," "handicapped," and "retarded" all have negative connotations
and are now considered offensive. This is an example of how
connotations can change over time. Because "disabled" is neutral, it's an
acceptable choice.
3. "Relaxed" is neutral, while "lackadaisical" tends to be negative and
implies laziness. "Laid-back" and "easygoing" are positive personality
traits.
4. "Skinny" implies that someone is too thin and therefore has a negative
connotation. "Thin" is the most neutral, while "slim" and "slender" are
more positive and considered complimentary.
5. "Cheap," "frugal" and "miserly" all have the negative connotation of being
stingy. "Economical" has a neutral to positive connotation.
6. "Immature" is most negative, while "juvenile" is slightly negative to
neutral. "Adolescent" is neutral. "Innocent" is positive,implying
something unspoiled.
7. "Inquisitive" and "curious" are neutral, while "interested" puts a positive
spin on it. "Prying" has a negative connotation.
8. "Confident" and "proud" are positive, while "secure" is a neutral
description of this trait. "Egotistical" is a negative way of looking at self-
confidence as something that borders on self-centeredness.
9. Although "knockout" can be taken as a compliment, it can also have a
negative, sexist connotation. "Lovely," "beautiful," and "stunning" have
more reliably positive connotations.
10. "Conversational" has a neutral connotation; "talkative" can fall
between neutral and negative, while "jabbering" has the negative
connotation of causing annoyance. "Chatty" has a positive, friendly tone.

Answers for Exercise 2:

1. Gritty
2. Babe
3. Mutt
4. Pushy
5. Bullheaded