connote
Carry additional meaning
To connote is to suggest or imply meaning beyond the literal definition.
Words carry connotations—associations and emotional overtones that hover around their dictionary meanings.
Home denotes a dwelling but connotes warmth and belonging.
Shack denotes a dwelling but connotes poverty.
A word's connotations often matter more than its denotation: calling someone thrifty versus cheap says the same thing differently.
Subdued background quality
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
- overtoneSubsidiary meaning or harmonic
- nuanceSlight shade of difference
undercurrent · insinuation · suggestion · shade · coloring · tinge · flavor · whisper
Indicate without stating
- suggestOffer an idea indirectly
- hintIndirect suggestion
- indicateSignal or point to
- signifyTo convey meaning
allude · intimate · insinuate · evoke · presuppose · betoken · portend · foreshadow
Group with shared aim
- meaningWhat something signifies
- significanceQuality of mattering
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- semioticsStudy of signs, symbols
representation · reference · sense · interpretation · signification · semantic · lexical · etymological
undertone
Subdued background quality
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
- overtoneSubsidiary meaning or harmonic
nuance · undercurrent · insinuation · suggestion · shade · coloring · tinge · flavor · whisper · hint
imply
Indicate without stating
signify · allude · intimate · insinuate · evoke · presuppose · betoken · portend · foreshadow · herald
association
Group with shared aim
- meaningWhat something signifies
- significanceQuality of mattering
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
semiotics · representation · reference · sense · interpretation · signification · semantic · lexical · etymological · linguistic
infer
Derive by reasoning
- deduceReach by reasoning
- interpretExtract or convey meaning
- understandGrasp the meaning
gather · conclude · surmise · presume · assume · read into · extrapolate · glean · construe · perceive
- Suggestinghint, imply, indicate, suggest, allude
- representrepresent, stand for, symbolize, embody, personify
- showingshow, displaying, display, exhibiting, demonstrate