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

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

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

The completely open floor plan is highly versatile and can work as a studio-style guest house, pool house, home office, or even a backyard library. —Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025

And because ARCbuild provides general oversight, not on-site assembly, developers retain control while benefiting from a highly repeatable, low-risk delivery system. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

Dogs can bark, but robots can talk back Even the most advanced quadruped robot on the market today can’t match a real dog’s innate sense of smell or its highly developed navigational instincts. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025

Cryptocurrencies remain highly volatile, with prices capable of experiencing double-digit swings within a matter of hours. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 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