Spender

English translation: Bad

17:05 Aug 8, 2020
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / Connotations
English term or phrase: Spender
Is "spender" a good or bad words? Or neutral?
I mean, does it have a certain connotation?

For example: She is a spender.
Does it means she is a waster, or simply she is not a saver (she likes to spend)
Anthony Indra
United States
Local time: 03:18
Selected answer:Bad
Explanation:
It's definitely a bad word if you're referring to connotation. As you know, connotation is heavily related to culture and subjectivity. Whereas objectively, there is no such thing as bad or good word. Words are words. They all have purpose within the context of the phrases and sentences.

So, yeah, used without context, "spender" definitely carries bad connotation. In our native language, it translates to "boros" so...

The following example is actually the opposite, where the word is not meant to be "bad" as in insulting or demeaning, in the context of the phrase.
Selected response from:

Ario Wirawan
Indonesia
Local time: 17:18
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5Bad
Ario Wirawan
Summary of reference entries provided
Dictionary
philgoddard

Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
spender
Bad


Explanation:
It's definitely a bad word if you're referring to connotation. As you know, connotation is heavily related to culture and subjectivity. Whereas objectively, there is no such thing as bad or good word. Words are words. They all have purpose within the context of the phrases and sentences.

So, yeah, used without context, "spender" definitely carries bad connotation. In our native language, it translates to "boros" so...

The following example is actually the opposite, where the word is not meant to be "bad" as in insulting or demeaning, in the context of the phrase.

Example sentence(s):
  • When it comes to our children's health and education, she really is a spender.
Ario Wirawan
Indonesia
Local time: 17:18
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: definitely has a negative connotation in English except in the Shirley Bassey song "Big spender"
1 hr

neutral  Tony M: In common usage, it tends to have a negative connotation; but there are exceptions, as David says.
3 hrs

disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: It's not "definitely a bad word" (and certainly doesn't warrant CL5!) and is not necessarily bad at all. As usual, context reigns as in Dbox example and your last example. "spender" and "big spender" are also not synonyms
1 day 7 hrs
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Reference comments


23 mins peer agreement (net): +4
Reference: Dictionary

Reference information:
a person who spends, especially one who habitually spends excessively or lavishly; spendthrift.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/spender

The dictionary should always be your first port of call, since it can usually answer your questions more quickly and effectively than we can.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thank you!


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Bruno Dutra
24 mins
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): But you would not call someone simply 'a spender' when you mean a 'big spender'..
28 mins
agree  Teangacha (X): https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2012/11/30/im-a-spend...
1 hr
agree  Anastasia Andriani
1 hr
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