Question

Can anyone help with explaining the connotative difference between two words.

Answer 1

When you look up a word in the dictionary, you will find its literal (denotative) meaning. However, the emotions and associations connected to a word is known as its connotative meaning. Depending on our experiences, certain words have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.
So, say, "childish" and "youthful" both mean the same thing literally, "like a child or young person". However, childish means silly and foolish in its connotative meaning, while youthful has a positive association. So they have a connotative difference.
Does that help?

Answer 2

Or is that the denotative meaning?

Answer 3

Well since "a short, light sleep, especially during the day". is the dictionary definition for snooze, and "a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended." is the dictionary definition of sleep, I'd say that's its denotative meaning.