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

This is a striking contrast to Western humanoids such as Tesla’s Optimus, Figure’s models, or Apptronik’s Apollo, which are usually priced two to three times higher, while highly advanced robots like Boston Dynamics’ Atlas can cost millions. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025

Colon cancer is a highly preventable disease, and colonoscopy screening is an especially effective preventive measure. —Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025

Individual responses to coffee are highly variable. —Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2025

These individuals are young, highly skilled, and employable by definition. —Ben Zweig, Time, 23 Oct. 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