Suffix · forms adjectives
Describes how good someone's network of contacts is: well-connected (has influential contacts) versus poorly-connected (few useful contacts).
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-connected has three distinct uses. For people: well-connected (has good, influential contacts), poorly-connected (has few contacts). For devices/technology: poorly-connected (badly connected to a network, literal sense). And for things related to each other: loosely-connected (barely related, like two stories in a book).
Adverb + connected.
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
-connected
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Well-connected" describes the quality and influence of one's networks, not their quantity or the warmth of the relationships. A well-connected person knows people who matter — who have power, access, or influence — and can call on those relationships to get things done. This is different from being popular, friendly, or widely liked.
In critical writing, "well-connected" often carries an implication of unfair advantage — the well-connected person succeeds not through merit but through access. Phrases like "he got the contract because he was well-connected" explain success as networking rather than quality. The compound is descriptive but its connotation depends entirely on context.
A trick to remember it
well-connected literally means "well connected" (has good contacts). If you already know "connect", the compound builds itself: well/poorly + connect.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"poorly-connected" means...
The suffix -connected describes how good someone's network of contacts is: well-connected (has influential contacts) versus poorly-connected (few useful contacts). In Spanish it usually maps to relacionado / conectado / con contactos.
"well" becomes "well-connected". It is a typical example of the -connected suffix.
Used for the type of shoe heel or, figuratively, for financial standing: high-heeled (with a high heel) and well-heeled (wealthy).
Judges how well something is positioned: well-placed (in the right spot) versus ill-placed (poorly positioned).
Describes how much someone knows about a subject: well-versed (highly knowledgeable) versus poorly-versed (having little knowledge).
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.