highly

adverb

high·​ly ˈhī-lē 

1

: in or to a high place, level, or rank

2

: in or to a high degree or amount

3

: with approval : favorably

Synonyms of highly

• extremely
• very
• incredibly
• terribly
• too
• so
• badly
• severely
• really
• damn
• damned
• intensely
• heavily
• seriously
• most

Examples of highly in a Sentence

She is one of the most highly respected journalists in the country.

though she didn't win, she was highly satisfied with her personal results for the marathon

Recent Examples on the Web

By grafting different polymer chains onto polyolefins, scientists can introduce chemical functionalities that are missing in conventional plastics, including water-attracting groups, acids, bases, or highly specific reactive chemical groups. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026

Many Roman writers of the era were highly critical of the emperor, and described him as weak or inept. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Nov. 2026

This team of expert and highly professional EMTs came to my rescue. — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

The lightweight, over-ear headphones shipped with the very first Walkman and served as the blueprint for highly portable personal audio for years. — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing highly

• highly strung
• highly superior autobiographical memory

Rhymes for highly

• dryly
• kiley
• shyly
• slyly
• smiley
• wily
• wryly

Kids Definition

highly

adverb

high·​ly ˈhī-lē 

1

: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely

highly pleased

2

: with approval

speaks highly of you