{"id":12235,"date":"2016-11-03T02:49:34","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T07:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grockit.com\/blog\/collegeprep\/?p=1391"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:42:35","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:42:35","slug":"word-connotations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/word-connotations\/","title":{"rendered":"ACT English: Word Connotations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though the English language abounds with synonyms, very few exact synonyms exist. Words with similar meanings often carry different connotations, i.e. the culturally subjective meanings or emotional associations suggested by certain words. A word\u2019s connotation is different from its denotation, or standard dictionary meaning. Though the ACT English will not test you on difficult vocabulary with obscure meanings or denotations, it may test your ability to recognize the connotations of familiar words, especially those with similar denotations.
\nYou may not have realized it, but word connotation is one of the few linguistic topics we often discuss in casual discourse. Friends or couples may fight over one\u2019s unwitting misuse of a certain word (e.g. when intending to compliment a friend\u2019s thin physique, the word \u201cscrawny\u201d may slip out). Schoolmates may playfully argue over the subtle but important differences between slang terms: that which is not particularly \u201ccool\u201d may be \u201crad,\u201d and something that \u201csucks\u201d may also, paradoxically, \u201cblow\u201d (pardon the anachronisms). Studying word connotations, then, can be as fun as it is edifying; it will improve your ability to converse effectively and diplomatically as much as your ability to write formally.
\nTo really grasp the importance of word connotations, let\u2019s look at some familiar examples. Remember the \u201cscrawny\u201d scenario I just gave you? The adjective \u201cthin\u201d has many synonyms with vastly different connotations: skinny, slim, slender, bony, scrawny, lean, emaciated, skeletal, svelte, gaunt, etc. Looking at the list, you may notice that some of the words have positive connotations while others have negative or pejorative connotations. \u201cSlim,\u201d \u201clean,\u201d and \u201cslender,\u201d for example, often connote a healthy physique; you might compliment a successful dieter with the words \u201cslim,\u201d \u201clean,\u201d or \u201cslender.\u201d Words like \u201cbony\u201d and \u201cscrawny,\u201d however, aren\u2019t so positive. A \u201cbony\u201d person looks so thin that he or she is unattractive or unhealthy looking. A \u201cscrawny\u201d person is a thin person who appears feeble. Words like \u201cemaciated\u201d and \u201cgaunt\u201d both connote an extreme thinness, but there are even clear differences between their connotations: \u201cemaciated\u201d connotes a severe wasting away of the body characteristic of medical illness, and \u201cgaunt,\u201d a far less formal word, emphasizes the physiognomic characteristics of a weary and hungry person.
\nOn the ACT English section, some questions may ask you to critically examine the author\u2019s word choice, paying strict attention to word connotation. In these circumstances, it is imperative that you accurately identify the author\u2019s tone, or his attitude toward his subject. If the author clearly has bitter feelings about his subject, you may want to choose words with negative connotations. For example, if the author bitterly describes a business\u2019s frustratingly thrifty financial behavior, you may opt for the words \u201ccheap\u201d and \u201cstingy.\u201d Conversely, if the author tries to promote that same business, you should opt for words like \u201cfrugal\u201d and \u201cprudent.\u201d Most often, authors of sample texts are formal and neutral in tone, and the word choice should reflect that. If you detect a formal tone, avoid words that carry extreme connotations. Sometimes, an accurate phrase may suffice; if your author strives for neutrality in the above example, the phrase \u201ccareful with money\u201d will be a better choice than \u201ccheap\u201d or \u201cstingy.\u201d
\nJust remember, when you are unsure of a word\u2019s connotation, think of a situation when you would use it. It may be difficult to articulate a word\u2019s connotation, but we can often imagine a circumstance that calls for a certain word. Let your imagination do most of the work here. Connotations are not to be memorized like obscure vocabulary words. You probably know most of them already; the more detailed your imagined context for a word, the more accurate you\u2019ll be.
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Though the English language abounds with synonyms, very few exact synonyms exist. Words with similar meanings often carry different connotations, i.e. the culturally subjective meanings or emotional associations suggested by certain words. A word\u2019s connotation is different from its denotation, or standard dictionary meaning. Though the ACT English will not test you on difficult vocabulary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58],"tags":[60,59,824],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36202,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235\/revisions\/36202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}