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

There’s a wide array of highly capable performance cars available at this price point, many of which offer eye-watering output and acceleration figures. — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

At the top of that system sit the highly competitive grandes écoles, the elite institutions of higher education that have produced leaders in politics, culture, and business. — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

ElevenLabs established itself as one of the most highly valued of those startups this month with a $300 million employee tender, at a $22 billion price tag. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Gomelsky described the victim as a highly successful student from Vietnam. — Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 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