Blog Post 1

The pair of words that I chose that have the same denotation but different expressive meaning is “childish” and “childlike.” The words “childish” and “childlike” relate to qualities associated with a child. Using these adjectives, “childlike” is typically used in a more positive way while “childish” is not. Being childish directly correlates to when a grown up show acts of immaturity. When used in sentences, “childish” is  usually used to describe the behavior of someone. Having childish qualities as an adult is seen as an embarrassment or inappropriate. It also reflects behavior that they should outgrow. Childlike, on the other hand, can refer to having innocence. It does not mean that someone is acting like a child or inappropriately. While “childish” refers to the outside qualities of an individual, “childlike” refers to the inner qualities an individual possesses. Sometimes, the word “childlike” can be used when giving a compliment since they posses good qualities a child may have.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *