Words With Positive Connotations
A great list of words that all have positive connotations.
What is a Positive Connotation?
A connotation is a feeling that a particular word invokes in us. Whilst we know the literal meaning of a word, it can also have an undertone or feeling attached to it. This ‘feeling’ can greatly alter the intention of a conversation or written text.
A word with a positive connotation will invoke feelings of happiness, positivity and well-being when it is spoken or thought of.
People tend to gravitate to these positive words and use them in a more favorable way.
Examples of Positive Connotations
There are many instances of words having a similar meaning, yet the feelings the word invokes in people is very different.
For example, the words: confidence, self-assurance and arrogance.
All of these words describe a similar concept, yet each one has a very different effect on people:
- Confidence is usually seen as a good thing, to have confidence means that you trust in your abilities and behave accordingly. It can also mean believing in yourself and your self-worth.
- Self-assurance is where you have confidence in yourself, but do not go over the top by being cocky. Instead, self-assurance means you are secure of your abilities and know how to show them.
- Arrogance on the other hand is seen as a negative word; it can mean showing off or putting people down because you think that you are better than them.
Other examples may be the difference in words such as ‘elderly’, ‘mature’, ‘aged’ and ‘experienced’. As well as the difference in words to do with money, such as: ‘rich’, ‘wealthy’ etc.
More positive connotation examples may include:
- Courageous – Implies a commendable bravery, going beyond simply being brave by including a sense of noble quality.
- Home – Evokes feelings of warmth, safety, and love, as opposed to just a house which is a structure.
- Vintage – Suggests something is classic and valued over time, rather than old or outdated.
- Invest – Indicates a thoughtful and potentially beneficial use of resources, rather than just spending money.
- Energetic – Carries a positive vibe about someone’s lively and spirited personality, not just active or restless.
- Youthful – Implies being full of life and vigor, as opposed to just being young.
- Cherish – Means to care for something deeply with affection, giving it more emotional depth than just to like something.
- Wisdom – Suggests a deep understanding and judgment which can only be acquired through experiences, more than just being smart.
- Achievement – Connotes a sense of accomplishment and success, not just the completion of a task.
Positive Words and Their Connotations
Positive connotations affect the way we view things and make us think differently about certain words – in a more positive way.
The connotations that words hold can impact how we act and behave toward things and they can alter the energy of conversations and business dealings. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you consider what the connotations of words are so that you can use them correctly in your writing or everyday life.
List of Words With Positive Connotations
To further emphasize the feelings that words can invoke, review the following list of words that are known to invoke positive feelings:
- ability
- able
- accepted
- accepting
- acclaimed
- accomplish
- accomplished
- accomplishment
- achievement
- active
- admirable
- affirmative
- affluent
- agreeable
- agreed
- angelic
- appealing
- aptitude
- attractive
- award
- awarded
- aware
- awareness
- awesome
- beaming
- beautiful
- believe
- beneficial
- bliss
- blissful
- bountiful
- brave
- bravery
- brilliant
- bubbly
- calm
- champion
- charismatic
- charming
- cheery
- clean
- commemorate
- commended
- composed
- confident
- congratulate
- congratulations
- cool
- courageous
- creative
- creativity
- cute
- dapper
- dazzling
- delight
- delightful
- determined
- devoted
- distinguished
- divine
- driven
- dutiful
- earnest
- easy
- easygoing
- ecstatic
- effective
- effective
- efficient
- elated
- electrifying
- elegant
- employed
- enchanting
- encouraging
- endorsed
- energetic
- enthusiastic
- essential
- esteemed
- ethical
- excellent
- exciting
- exquisite
- fabulous
- fair
- fame
- familiar
- famous
- fantastic
- favorable
- favorite
- fetching
- flourishing
- free
- fresh
- friendly
- fun
- funny
- generous
- genius
- genuine
- giving
- glamorous
- glowing
- good
- gorgeous
- grace
- graceful
- great
- growing
- handsome
- happy
- harmonious
- healing
- healthy
- hearty
- heavenly
- help
- helpful
- honest
- honorable
- honored
- inquisitive
- interested
- interesting
- jovial
- joy
- jubilant
- keen
- kind
- knowing
- knowledgeable
- laugh
- laughter
- learned
- legendary
- light
- limitless
- lively
- lovely
- lucky
- luminous
- lustrous
- marvelous
- masterful
- meaningful
- merit
- meticulous
- miraculous
- modern
- motivating
- moving
- natural
- nature
- needed
- nice
- novel
- now
- nurturing
- nutritious
- one
- open
- optimistic
- options
- paradise
- perfect
- phenomenal
- pleasant
- pleasurable
- plentiful
- poised
- polished
- popular
- positive
- possibilities
- possible
- potential
- powerful
- prepared
- pretty
- principled
- productive
- progress
- prominent
- protected
- proud
- quality
- quick
- quiet
- ready
- reassuring
- refined
- refreshing
- rejoiced
- reliable
- remarkable
- resounding
- respected
- restored
- reward
- rewarding
- right
- robust
- safe
- sated
- satisfactory
- secure
- seemly
- simple
- skilled
- skillful
- smile
- smiling
- soulful
- sparkling
- special
- spirited
- spiritual
- steadfast
- stirring
- stunning
- stupendous
- success
- successful
- sunny
- super
- superb
- supporting
- surprising
- talented
- terrific
- thorough
- thrifty
- thrilling
- thriving
- tranquil
- transformative
- transformed
- trusting
- truthful
- unwavering
- up
- upbeat
- uplifting
- upright
- upstanding
- value
- valued
- vibrant
- victorious
- victory
- vintage
- virtuous
- vital
- vitality
- vivacious
- wealth
- wealthy
- welcome
- well
- whole
- wholesome
- willing
- win
- winning
- won
- wonderful
- wondrous
- worthy
- wow
- yes
- yet
- yum
- yummy
- zeal
- zealous
It’s important to mention that this of course isn’t a conclusive list of words with positive connotations (that would be impossible!) and it’s also very important to consider the audience and context surrounding situations when considering the impact that a negative or positive connotation can have.
For more positive connotation words, be sure to check out:
