MEPX
Chapter 4 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Why context works
  2. 2The four clue types
  3. 3Word parts
  4. 4Shades of meaning
  5. 5Building vocabulary
  6. 6Vocabulary in exams
  7. 7Figurative use
  8. 8Academic and formal words
  9. 9Latin and Greek roots
  10. 10Keeping it

Chapter 4 of 10

Shades of meaning

Beyond the definition.

Connotation

Thrifty and stingy describe the same behaviour with opposite sympathy. Two words with the same dictionary meaning can be complimentary and insulting.

  • Notice whether the surrounding sentence approves or disapproves.
  • Register matters too: some words fit a report and not a conversation.

Collocation

Words keep company with particular partners: heavy rain, strong coffee, make a decision. Using the wrong partner reads oddly even when the meaning is right.