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Shades of Meaning 2

To communicate precisely, students must understand the subtle differences between similar words. In this lesson, students learn shades of meaning for words likely to come up in a business context.

Directions: Put students in two groups. Give each group one set of words. Give students 20 minutes to discuss how the words are different. Students may research the words online if they are stuck. After 20 minutes, meet as a class and have each group explain the shades of meaning of their words.

Also see shades of meaning 1.

 

Shades of Meaning (set 1)

1. worker, employee, staff member, team member
2. to lay someone off, to fire someone, to let someone go, to sack someone
3. quit, resign
4. worried, concerned
5. newcomer, amateur, novice
6. issue, problem, difficulty, setback
7. bold, daring, reckless
8. cheap, inexpensive, low-priced, low-cost, dime a dozen
9. passionate, obsessed, fanatical, enthusiastic
10. proud, vain, stuck-up, conceited, arrogant

 

Shades of Meaning (set 2)

11. ambitious, power hungry
12. challenging, difficult
13. determined, stubborn, resolute, persistent
14. politician, elected official
15. company, firm, corporation, organization, business, mom and pop
16. experienced, mature, professional, old, washed up
17. excuse, reason, explanation, justification
18. poor, needy, underprivileged
19. laid back, careless, easy-going
20. confess, acknowledge, admit, divulge

 

Differences in Shades of Meaning

Students should identify the following:

Shades of Meaning (set 1)

1. worker, employee, staff member, team member
Worker has a negative connotation. Employee and staff member have a neutral connotation. Team member has a more positive connotation.
2. to lay someone off, to fire someone, to let someone go, to sack someone
To fire someone or to sack someone (fire = American English, sack = British English) suggest the person did something wrong. These expressions have a negative connotation. To lay someone off or to let someone go are euphemistic, polite terms.
3. quit, resign
Resign sounds more professional and positive than quit. Resign suggests that prior notice was given to one’s employer.
4. worried, concerned
Concerned has a more positive connotation than worried. See this page for a more complete explanation.
5. newcomer, amateur, novice
Newcomer has a neutral connotation and communicates that someone is new to an organization. This person could be either experienced or inexperienced in their field. An amateur is someone who does something without receiving compensation or someone inept or unskilled. A novice has limited experience in their field.
6. issue, problem, difficulty, setback
Issue has a more positive connotation than problem as issue communicates that something is a matter of concern, not simply a problem. Difficulty is similar to problem but is often used in the plural and with the word “with.” A setback is something that delays progress. 
7. bold, daring, reckless
Bold has a positive connotation and communicates that someone is confident and willing to take risks. Daring is similar to bold but a bit stronger. Reckless has a negative connotation and communicates that someone takes unnecessary risks which could result in negative consequences.
8. cheap, inexpensive, low-priced, low-cost, dime a dozen
Cheap has a negative connotation and suggests that something is poorly made. Inexpensive and low cost do not imply that something is poorly made, just that it has a low price. If something is a dime a dozen, it means that it is so common that it is nearly worthless.
9. passionate, obsessed, fanatical, enthusiastic
Enthusiastic refers to interest, enjoyment, and approval. Passionate refers to strong feelings and emotions.
10. proud, vain, stuck-up, conceited, arrogant
Proud has a positive connotation. Vain has a negative connotation and communicates that someone is excessively proud. Stuck-up, conceited, and arrogant also have a negative connotation. Stuck-up means that someone doesn’t associate with others because they think themselves superior to others. Conceited means that someone is excessively proud and believes they are better than others. Arrogant means that the personal believes they are better than others and more important than they really are.

 

Shades of Meaning (set 2)

11. ambitious, power hungry
Ambitious has a positive connotation. Power-hungry has a negative connotation.
12. challenging, difficult
Challenging sounds more positive than difficult. Something challenging stimulates or interests people due to its difficulty. 
13. determined, stubborn, resolute, persistent
Determined has a positive connotation and communicates that someone will try to accomplish something no matter what. Resolute also has a positive connotation. It can be used to mean determined, or also to communicate adherence to beliefs, opinions, ideas, purpose, etc. Stubborn has a negative connotation and communicates an unwillingness to change/give up even when there are good reasons to do so. Persistent has a neutral-positive connotation and communicates that someone continues with a course of action for an extended period of time.
14. politician, elected official
Politician has a negative connotation whereas elected official has a positive connotation.
15. company, firm, corporation, organization, business, mom and pop
Company is a general term, as is business. Firm suggests an organization of lawyers, accountants, or consultants. Corporation means that the company is recognized as a legal entity. Organization can be used for any group that shares a purpose. A mom and pop is a very small business often passed down from generation to generation.
16. experienced, mature, professional, old, washed up
Experienced has a positive connotation and does not necessarily communicate that someone is old. Mature has a positive connotation and communicates that someone has highly developed emotions and mental qualities. Old has a negative connotation. Washed-up has a very negative connotation and communicates that someone’s best days are behind them.
17. excuse, reason, explanation, justification
Excuse has a negative connotation. An excuse is used to defend oneself, explain failure, or lessen blame. Reason, explanation, and justification have a more positive connotation.
18. poor, needy, underprivileged
Poor is very direct and we often avoid using the word. Needy and underprivileged are indirect, euphemistic ways of saying poor.
19. laid back, careless, easy-going
Laid back and easy-going have a positive connotation and communicate that someone is relaxed. Careless has a negative connotation and communicates that someone’s lack of attention or thought may lead to negative consequences.
20. confess, acknowledge, admit, divulge
Confess and admit are often used to reveal that someone is at fault. Acknowledge means to accept that something is true. Divulge means to make something known.