This article explores the semantic and pragmatic dimensions of lexical meanings in modern English short stories. Through qualitative linguistic analysis, the study investigates how authors use specific lexical items to convey implicit and explicit meanings, shape character identity, and build narrative subtext. By analyzing a selected corpus of contemporary short stories, the study reveals the dynamic interplay between word choice, context, and reader interpretation. The findings emphasize the importance of contextual meaning and pragmatic inference in literary discourse, particularly in how subtle lexical variations contribute to tone, theme, and narrative cohesion.

Semantic meaning, Pragmatics, Lexical analysis, Modern short stories, Literary discourse, Contextual interpretation, Implicit meaning

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