Levels of Meaning: Words and Emotions 2

All words have literal meanings. Many have emotional meanings, too. Being aware of how people might react to the words you use will help you make vocabulary choices.

A.

Each sentence has a pair of words with similar dictionary definitions. Circle the word that best fits the context of the sentence.

1.“Wipe that ( smile / smirk ) off your face!”

2.Norman ( smiled / smirked ) at the cute, cuddly puppy.

3.The robbers ( stole / pilfered ) $100,000 from Midland Bank.

4.Bettina ( stole / pilfered ) a few staples and paper clips from her office supply cabinet.

5.When the temperature hit 90 degrees, hot winds carried the ( stench / aroma ) of rotting garbage.

6.The sweet ( stench / aroma ) of freshly mowed grass filled the spring air.

1.Which would you rather have— a bold buddy or an impertinent pal? ___________________________________

2.Who would you rather baby-sit— naughty Nathan or impish Ivan? ___________________________________

3.Who makes a better neighbor— concerned Clara or nosy Nanette? ___________________________________

4.When Wanda does her own thing, would she rather be called eccentric or weird? ___________________________________

7.The poor, old ( nag / steed ) could barely pull the farmer’s heavy plow.

8.The knight mounted his fine, strong ( nag / steed ) and rode into battle.

B.

Look for the more positive word in each boldface pair. Write your answer to each question.