Recognizing Denotation and Connotation

The denotative meaning of a word is its literal meaning, or dictionary definition. Many words also carry powerful, often positive or negative, connotative meanings. For example, each of the following words has the same denotative meaning as thin. However, notice the difference in their connotative meanings.

slender, willowy, underweight, skinny, scrawny

Slender and willowy have positive connotative meanings. They suggest healthy fitness. However, underweight, skinny, and scrawny have negative connotative meanings. They suggest an unhealthy condition. Be sensitive to your word choice. Since several words may have the same denotative meaning, choose the one that has the exact connotative meaning that you intend to express. Use a thesaurus to find such precise synonyms.

Which sentence expresses a positive feeling? Susan was really surprised to see Glenn, and she glared at him for almost a minute. Susan was really surprised to see Glenn, and she stared at him for almost a minute.