What is connotation and denotation

The word carries a nostalgic, desirable quality. Still confused? Take a closer look at how connotation and denotation differ with an explanation and examples. Here's another way to look at it. Denotation is the standard definition of a word, whereas connotation is the feeling evoked by a word. Let's consider another word: gritty. The definition of gritty is "having a rough texture. In that sense, we're not saying that section of the city has a "rough texture" in a literal sense.

Instead, we're saying it's a tough neighborhood, perhaps with issues related to crime and poverty. As such, you'll want to have your wits about you when walking through its streets. That's connotation. Now that you know the difference between the meanings of connotation vs.

The second sentence suggests that the t-shirt wasn't just a bargain buy. Rather, it was of poor quality. The implication is that a higher-quality garment wouldn't have pilled. When someone says you should never dabble in drugs or anything harmful , they mean you shouldn't touch them, never mind a superficial interest or momentary experimentation.

The connotation of "dabbling in drugs" is to "stay back. In this context, the implication is that she's not just free from guilt; she's lacking in worldly knowledge or experience. She's naive. It carries a derogatory connotation, implying that the speaker has more "smarts" than the woman she's talking about. To wish someone would stop talking can mean anything. Perhaps you want quiet; maybe they're not letting you get a word in. But, saying that someone is jabbering carries the negative connotation of someone who's talking nonsensically and is starting to annoy you.

Get Dictionary. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Word of the day. Redefine your inbox with Dictionary. Connotation 1 emotional charge : Every word has a negative, positive or neutral connotation or association. Connotation 2 symbolic meaning : Some words have a secondary, figurative or symbolic association or connotation. In this case, the word takes on a completely new meaning completely unrelated to the literal meaning of the word: Snake: An evil, devious or immoral person.

Chicken: A coward. Pig: A vulgar person or slob. People love to read between the lines, so connotation is more popular, but it's often held up against its more rigid friend denotation. When you're talking about the implied subtext of words rather than their literal meaning, reach for the noun connotation.

A political boss might not want to be called "boss" because of the negative connotations. Continue reading Denotation means the literal meaning of a word or name. Although Paris might make you think of romance, its denotation is simply "the city of an old tribe called the Parisii.