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Synonyms with Different Connotations

 Are you good at choosing and putting proper words in English sentences? Without knowing the subtle difference between synonyms, you’d sound a bit awkward or weird with your choice of words. Let’s practice using synonymous words in a sentence by finding one word in each group that has a negative connotation.

In each of the following groups of similar words describing people, choose the words that have somewhat negative connotation (as many as you can find), the words that have positive connotation, and lastly, the one that has a neutral meaning.

 


    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, stingy, 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

 

    11.               fictional, fictitious, fictive

 

Answer Keys 

    1.  negative connotation: childish (to describe someone who behaves immaturely)

positive connotation: childlike and youthful

neutral denotation: young

 

 

    2.  negative connotation: crippled, handicapped, retarded (all three of these words have offensive and negative connotation)

positive connotation:

neutral denotation: disabled

 

    3.  negative connotation: lackadaisical (implying laziness)

positive connotation: easygoing and laid-back

neutral denotation: relaxed

 

    4.  negative connotation: skinny (describing somebody is too thin)

positive connotation: slim and slender (used as a compliment)

neutral connotation: thin

 

    5.  negative connotation: cheap, miserly, stingy (meaning not generous at all)

positive connotation: frugal (meaning thrifty)

neutral denotation: economical

 

    6.  negative connotation: immature

slightly negative to neutral: juvenile

positive connotation : innocent

neutral denotation: adolescent

 

    7.  negative connotation: prying

positive connotation: interested

neutral denotation: inquisitive and curious

 

    8.  negative connotation: egotistical (meaning ‘self-centered’)

positive connotation: confident and proud

neutral denotation: secure

 

    9.  negative/ sexist connotation: knockout (this word can be used as a compliment, but it has somewhat negative or sexist connotation

positive connotation: lovely, beautiful, stunning

 

    10.              negative connotation: jabbering (to describe somebody who is annoying)

positive connotation: talkative and chatty (to convey the feeling of “friendly” tone)

neutral denotation: conversational

 

 

    11.              negative connotation: fictitious (used to convey the meaning of something or somebody made up to deceive others or conceal oneself)

neutral denotation: fictional and fictive

 

(*source from www.dictionary.com and https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-connotative-words.html)

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