highly

adverb high·ly \ ˈhī-lē \

Definition of highly

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

2 :in or to a high degree or amount

3 :with approval :favorably

See highly defined for English-language learners

See highly defined for kids

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 of highly from the Web

His energy is construed as either highly entertaining or annoyingly bombastic.

— dan wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "Inside the passion-fueled, bombastic, Cubs-loving, full-tilt life of David Kaplan," 28 Aug. 2017
Since January 2016, the Redevelopment Authority has reserved the highly sought-after land for WCRP.

— claudia vargas, Philly.com, "Gentrification fight in Point Breeze pivots to parking spaces," 25 Aug. 2017
Doug the Pug, famous for his adorable, topical, and highly entertaining Instagram account, also makes an appearance in the video, and the only problem with his guest spot is that his screen time is quite limited.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "Katy Perry’s “Swish Swish” Video Includes a Nicki Minaj Halftime Show and Your Favorite Insta Famous Pug," 24 Aug. 2017
Uber is currently valued at around $68.5 billion, making it the most highly valued private start-up in the world.

— mike isaac and tiffany hsu, New York Times, "Uber, Mired in Corporate Scandals, Sees Uptick in Bookings," 23 Aug. 2017
Three Alabama hospitals will be designated to identify patients with highly infectious diseases under a new program announced by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Alabama sets up new network for highly infectious diseases," 23 Aug. 2017
This is a natural consequence of using highly specialized academic researchers, rather than teachers, to instruct students.

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "Universities Can Learn from Conservatives’ Love of Humanities," 18 Aug. 2017
Gun shops, after all, have particular sway in these areas: A 2016 report from the Violence Prevention Center noted that firearm retailers are most common per capita in highly rural states, such as Wyoming, the Dakotas and Iowa.

— shefali luthra, Kaiser Health News, "Gun Sellers Join Forces To Curb Suicide-By-Firearm, Rampant In Rural Areas," 17 Aug. 2017
On the other hand, both policy and political concerns about the feasibility of Medicare-for-All are spreading, even among highly self-conscious progressives.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The Growing Battle Within the Progressive Left Over Medicare-for-All," 17 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'highly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.