Question

Nuances in Words

1. Jennifer went home crying after someone at the party called her fat.
2. Jorge blanched when his barber declared that his hair was too delicate to dye.
3. The children were frightened when the substitute teacher grinned maniacally.
4. "I'm not sure the open floor plan is appropriate for this house," said the designer.
5. Many mothers found the class project to be a little too gory for classroom usage.

Which word from the sentences does not have a strong connotation?

O fat
O appropriate
O delicate
O gory
O maniacally

Answer 1

The word 'appropriate' from the provided sentences carries a neutral connotation, unlike the other words like 'fat', 'delicate', 'gory', and 'maniacally', which have stronger negative connotations. Therefore, 'appropriate' is the correct answer for the word without a strong connotation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing the connotation of words, it's important to consider both the denotative (literal) meaning and the connotative (emotional) meaning. Words may carry a positive, neutral, or negative connotation, affecting how they are perceived in a sentence.

For example, words like 'fat' and 'gory' have negative connotations as they evoke unpleasant images or feelings. 'Maniacally' suggests a wild or deranged behavior, also carrying a negative connotation.

'Delicate', while it can imply something positive like fragility or fineness, can be negative if suggesting weakness. On the other hand, 'appropriate' tends to have a neutral connotation, signifying suitability or correctness without an emotional charge.

In the context of the given sentences, 'appropriate' is the word without a strong connotation, while 'fat', 'delicate', 'gory', and 'maniacally' carry stronger connotations. As such, the mention of the correct option in the final answer is 'appropriate', meaning it is suitable or fitting in a particular context, and it does not evoke a strong emotional response compared to the other words listed.