Final answer:
The word 'cheap' shares a similar denotation with 'inexpensive', referring to something low in price, but 'cheap' carries a negative connotation, often implying poor quality in addition to low cost. The correct option that has a similar denotation to 'inexpensive' but a more negative connotation is C. Cheap.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about words that are synonymous in denotation—meaning the literal definition of a word—but have different connotations, which refers to the emotional or cultural associations that a word evokes beyond its literal meaning. When describing something that doesn’t cost a lot of money, the word “inexpensive” has a neutral to positive connotation, suggesting a good value. The other options provided all have similar denotations to “inexpensive” as they all refer to something not high in price, but they differ in connotation.
Affordable and economical both imply value and prudence without a negative undertone. Modest, when used in the context of price, often suggests something is reasonably priced without implying cheapness or low quality. However, the word cheap tends to carry a negative connotation, implying a lack of quality or durability in addition to being low in price. Therefore, cheap is a word that is similar in denotation to “inexpensive” but carries a more negative connotation, making it the correct answer.
In everyday language, describing something as “cheap” might suggest that the item is not only low in cost but also of poor quality. For example, if one is talking about a “cheap toy,” the implication might be that the toy is not only affordable but also likely to break easily. This illustrates how the word “cheap” can be perceived negatively compared to “inexpensive”, which doesn’t necessarily carry the same implication of inferior quality.
The correct option is C. Cheap.