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

The high-end veterans still available are highly unlikely — Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen — but perhaps some other potential depth pieces could be pursued. —Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

But civil libertarians are unnerved about casting such a wide dragnet that captures highly personal information from hundreds or perhaps thousands of people who aren’t criminals. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026

Limon had spoken highly of Bristy to his family in Bangladesh, according to his brother. —Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

Investigators noted that shortly before the robbery, the guard opened a door against policy — one that faced the area where the thieves were later seen waiting — a move investigators considered highly unusual and suspicious. —ABC News, 26 Apr. 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