Denotative and Connotative

Literal vs. Implied Meanings

We are going to learn a fun new way to understand words. You might already know that some words have a dictionary meaning, but did you know they can also have a secret, hidden meaning?

Literal vs. Implied Meanings: The Key

The Literal Meaning: Think of this as the dictionary meaning. When a word is used literally, it means exactly what it says, no more and no less.

 

The Implied Meaning: Think of this as the feeling or idea a word suggests. This meaning isn't in the dictionary, but you can understand it by looking at how the word is used in a story or sentence. It can be a happy feeling, a sad feeling, or even a scary feeling.

Let's look at an example using the word "cold".

Literal: "You feel cold when you play in the snow." (The dictionary meaning of cold—a low temperature).

 

Implied: "The mean queen had a cold heart." (The implied meaning—she is unkind and uncaring, not that her heart is actually made of ice!).

 

 

Now, let's read a story together.

Pay close attention to the words that are in bold.

Story Time: "The Blue Ribbon"

 

You have a blue dress that you love to wear. It's the same deep color as the ocean. On the day of the school's sports festival, you don't feel very blue; you feel excited!

 

You run your fastest, but you come in second place. A small red ribbon is pinned to your chest. You watch as your classmate, Mia, receives a long, shiny blue ribbon.

 

Walking home, you feel a little heavy inside. You see your mother waiting at the gate. She smiles warmly. "I heard you did a great job today! Let's celebrate with some ice cream."

 

At the ice cream parlor, you see Mia and her mom. Mia’s mother hugs her and says, "You are a star, my champion!" Mia smiles proudly.

 

Your mother hugs you, too. "To me," she says, "you are a star for trying your best." You smile back at your mom, feeling much better.

Exploring the Two Meanings

Let's look at the bold words from the story and find their literal and implied meanings.

Word	Literal Meaning (Dictionary) It is the literal, explicit, and objective definition of a word.	Implied Meaning (Hidden Feeling) It refers to the emotional, social, and cultural associations a word carries beyond its dictionary definition.
blue	The color of the sky	Feeling sad or gloomy
heavy	Having a lot of weight	Feeling sad or burdened
ribbon	A piece of fabric	A prize for winning
star	A shining object in the night sky	A very successful or talented person

Practice Time: Activity Worksheet

Instruction: Read each pair of sentences. Write "L" for the sentence with the literal meaning and "I" for the sentence with the implied meaning.

_____1. a) The cake you baked is very sweet.

              b) Your voice is so sweet when you sing.

 

_____2. a) My grandmother lives in a warm house.

              b) My grandmother has a warm smile.

 

_____3. a) The lion is a fierce animal.

              b) The storm was fierce, and it blew down many trees.

 

_____4. a) The snake in the story was a mean and sneaky character.

              b) We saw a real snake at the zoo.

 

_____5. a) The light from the flashlight was bright.

              b) Your smile is so bright it makes me happy.

Practice Sentences (Give both the literal and implied meanings)

1. After losing the game, Carlo felt like a loser.

Denotative: loser = _____________________________

Connotative: loser = _____________________________

2. The old man lives in a small house, but to his family, it is a home.

Denotative: home = _____________________________

Connotative: home = _____________________________

3. Beware of that man—he’s a real snake.

Denotative: snake = _____________________________

Connotative: snake = _____________________________

4. When Anna entered the stage, the spotlight made her shine.

Denotative: shine = _____________________________

Connotative: shine = _____________________________

5. The storm destroyed their farm, but the bigger storm was in their hearts.

Denotative: storm = _____________________________

Connotative: storm = _____________________________

6. His words were cold, even though the sun was warm.

Denotative: cold = _____________________________

Connotative: cold = _____________________________

7. The crown was passed on to the young prince.

Denotative: crown = _____________________________

Connotative: crown = _____________________________

8. The teacher was a real light in the lives of her students.

Denotative: light = _____________________________

Connotative: light = _____________________________