Connotation and Denotation

Casey was such a pushy leader; she was easily defeated as class president .

• Positive connotation

• Neutral Connotation

• Negative Connotation

What are connotations?

• Words that end in vowels

• Dictionary definition of a word

• Words that have feelings attached to them

• Describing words

Which word has a positive connotation?

• brainwash
• persuade

Which connotation is MORE positive?
________ people rode on the roller coaster.

• Brave
• Foolhardy

Choose the word with the positive connotation.
inquiring--prying

• inquiring
• prying

Choose the word with the positive connotation.
self-confident--arrogant

• self-confident
• arrogant

Which word has a neutral connotation?

• Mansion
• Residence
• Shack

Read the sentences and answer the question. I gave the most difficult task to Yandy because she is the most stubborn person I know. I gave the most difficult task to Yandy because she is the most persistent person I know. How does the connotation of the word persistent in the second sentence convey the author’s purpose?

• It implies a positive characteristic.

• It implies an increasingly negative characteristic.

• It implies a careless characteristic.

• It implies a playfully irresponsible characteristic.

The denotation is the _______________ meaning of a word.

• emotional

• literal

• incorrect

• opposite

Which connotation is MORE negative?
We bought _____ souvenirs at the amusement park.

• cheap
• inexpensive