Connotation and Denotation

1. Connotation and Denotation • Denotation – the DICTIONARY definition; the literal meaning of the word • Connotation – the positive or negative emotions associated with the word; how the word makes you FEEL

2. Positive or Negative? 1. gaze stare 2. fragrance odor 3. brainwash persuade 4. delayed tardy 5. nosy curious 6. lazily leisurely 7. demand request 8. gathering mob 9. slim skinny 10. Debate argue

3. 11. Observe spy 12. Youthful immature 13. Irresponsible carefree 14. Unique strange 15. Detect snoop 16. Inexpensive cheap 17. Isolation privacy 18. Assertive pushy • Extravagance generosity • Create five more pairs of words with the same DENOTATION but a different CONNOTATION

4. What’s the point? • If you can understand the connotation of the author’s words, you can begin to recognize the tone or attitude. • When you can identify the author’s tone, the literature has a deeper meaning. • If you misread the tone (if you don’t recognize that the author is being sarcastic, for example), you might misunderstand the author’s meaning.

5. Choose one. Write about it positively and then write about it negatively. • Describe a wet street after the rain. • Describe a football game. • Characterize a challenging high school class. • Describe a hamburger made in a fast-food restaurant. • Describe a group of teen-age girls walking down the street together. • Describe a recent movie or television program.

6. The tall, unattractive girls walked down the street in a group. The giant, ugly girls walked down the street in a mob.