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

Still, these businesses work to maintain complex supply chains with multiple suppliers, which is both time consuming and highly manual. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025

Along with affordable exotics, young collectors are also paying up for supercars, especially rare and highly specific Paganis, Bugattis and Rufs, the boutique German builder. —Robert Frank, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025

Merit’s success might very well suggest that in an industry highly obsessed with chasing trends and viral moments, there is a lasting advantage in giving consumers simplicity, through products of high-quality, reasonable priced and intentionally brought to life. —Clara Ludmir, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

The insiders would still like to see Sequoia’s investment returned, but it’s been clear to them for some time that such a step would be highly unlikely. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 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