By definition, synonyms are words or phrases that have the same denotation (literal meaning). But synonyms almost always have different connotations (shades of meaning). Essentially, words have three “charges”: positive, negative or neutral. This means that words can be used to create a positive, negative or neutral feeling. Depending on the situation, words can move from one charge to the next.
Read the following passage.
“He’s very influential in the clowning community,” she whispered to her friend, pointing to the tall man in loose pants and rainbow suspenders striding across the room. “He’s a great artist. Balloon animals have never been the same.”
What is the “charge” of the word “influential” in this passage?
A
positive
B
negative
C
neutral
D
extremely negative