How to translate this sentence in chinese A connotation is an idea or feeling that a word may hold that is in addition to its main meaning (or denotation).A connotation is an idea or feeling that a word may hold that is in addition to its main meaning (or denotation). These additional meanings are often cultural or emotional in nature, so they can be hard to understand if you only consult a dictionary. For example, look at these four words: cheap, frugal, miserly, economical. Two of these words have positive meanings and the other two have negative meanings. All of them mean the quality of saving money by spending very little. (Answer: cheap and miserly are negative, meaning someone who is unreasonable in their spending habits; frugal and economical have positive associations, meaning someone who is careful about spending money).