What term describes a word gaining a negative meaning?

• A. Amelioration
• B. Euphemism
• C. Pejoration
• D. Neosemic shift

Answer: (C)

Pejoration is a kind of semantic change where a word picks up a more negative meaning over time. This happens as attitudes, contexts, or social associations around the word shift, so its sense becomes more insulting or undesirable. For example, a word that once meant positive or neutral can come to be seen as foolish, harmful, or bad. This contrasts with amelioration, where a word gains a more positive sense, and with euphemism, which is about softening or masking a term rather than the word’s own historical shift. A term like neosemic shift isn’t the standard label for this pattern.