Denotation and Connotation: Choosing Words With the Right Feeling

Two words can mean nearly the same thing and feel completely different. Thrifty and stingy both describe someone careful with money, but one is a compliment and the other an insult. That difference is connotation.

Two layers of meaning

• Denotation: the literal, dictionary meaning of a word.
• Connotation: the feelings, associations and attitudes that come with it.

Dictionaries give denotation clearly, and often hint at connotation through usage labels, example sentences and notes.

Same idea, different feeling

Positive	Neutral	Negative
thrifty	careful with money	stingy, tight-fisted
slim	thin	skinny, scrawny
confident	self-assured	arrogant, cocky
curious	interested	nosy, prying
assertive	firm	pushy, aggressive
youthful	young	childish, immature
unique	unusual	odd, weird
relaxed	calm	lazy, careless
determined	persistent	stubborn, obstinate
frugal	economical	cheap

Why it matters

• In writing, your word choice shapes how readers feel about people, places and ideas.
• In persuasion, advertisers and politicians choose words carefully: pre-owned car versus second-hand car; tax relief versus tax cut.
• In relationships, the wrong word can hurt: calling a friend nosy rather than curious changes the tone.
• In news, describing the same event as a protest, a demonstration or a riot frames it differently.

Reading connotation

• Notice the mood of a passage. Is it admiring, critical or neutral?
• Compare alternatives. What other words could the writer have used? Why did they pick this one?
• Watch for loaded language, which is chosen to sway feelings.

Using connotation in your writing

1. Decide the impression you want to make.
2. List candidate words with similar meanings.
3. Check each one in a dictionary, looking at example sentences and usage labels.
4. Choose the one that matches your tone.
5. Read the sentence aloud to hear how it lands.

Cultural and personal differences

Connotations vary between cultures, generations and individuals. A word that's affectionate in one community may be rude in another. If in doubt, choose neutral words, and think about your audience.