Example

This shameful tragedy will haunt the community for years to come.

Definition and effect on reader

Emotive language refers to words or phrases that change the feel of a sentence through evoking a particular emotional reaction from the reader. In particular, adjectives can alter how a sentence is read so that the idea comes across more positively or negatively than it would have without that descriptive word. This decreases the reader’s rational response to the writing and increases their emotional response; encouraging them to react instinctively to what is being said.

It is important to identify what emotion is being evoked as there are a broad spectrum that emotive language can be appealing to. Emotive language is a very common language technique, not only because it is persuasive, but because it naturally occurs in everyday speech.

Keep in mind that some word choices evoke an emotional response, but are not so much emotive language as loaded language. This means that the word itself holds connotations, and may not be a describing word used to elicit an emotional response. Keep in mind that emotive language is often used in conjunction with appeals (such as an appeal to sympathy).