Connotative Words: Examples
and Exercises
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.
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? (Scroll down for the answers.)
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? (Scroll
down for the answers.)
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.
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.
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? (Scroll down for the answers.)
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? (Scroll
down for the answers.)
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.
For further examples of how connotation can be used to good effect in your writing
read Connotation in Literature Examples.
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
