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

He is known for frequently competing in highly dangerous matches and performing spectacular, yet painful, stunts. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

That demonstrates a highly stressed magnetic field, a prime environment for an explosive release — and that's exactly what happened. —Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025

In their experiment, the researchers tested fish samples at varying levels of decay and found that the device could deliver a highly accurate freshness reading in under two minutes. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025

The release of the Epstein files is highly anticipated and could come in a matter of days. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025

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