HIGHLY Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

highly

adverb

ˈhī-lē

Definition of highly

as in extremely

to a great degree though she didn't win, she was highly satisfied with her personal results for the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in greatly

to a large extent or degree that is highly different from your first idea for a family vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of highly After what Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self believes was a highly successful two-month summer set of workouts, the 14 Jayhawk players on the 2026-27 roster have headed to their hometowns for a month-long breather. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 Bart Jansen Despite widespread interest in finding the origin of COVID-19 and gauging the government’s response to it, the hearing with Fauci is expected to be highly partisan. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Today, the digital payments space is highly competitive, with major tech companies such as Apple and Google enticing customers to use their payment services for online purchases. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 This is also a highly spiritual moment for you that seemingly gives you a direct line to divinity. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for highly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for highly

Adverb

Analyzing top player movement Changing schools is extremely common, with more than 17,000 athletes in Texas filling out a prior athletic participation form (PAPF) this past year, according to UIL executive director Jamie Harrison.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
Here’s an outpost of a chain with some extremely personal, local touches.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026

Definition of extremely

Adverb

Indeed, Richard the Lionheart, after countless campaigns and victories, was slain by a crossbowman (ironically, because this was a weapon that Richard championed greatly against the wishes of the Church).

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Everyone seemed to get their money’s worth, and the ex-Cubs who came back to Wrigley greatly added to the show.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Definition of greatly

Adverb

That gets into the very annoying realization that some infinities are bigger than other infinities, which is mathematically true and conceptually uncomfortable.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 July 2026
Kim was very briefly a Big Ten starting quarterback — for five games at Michigan State in 2023.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of very

Adverb

There were four outlandish, outcast characters, whom Goldberg utterly embodied with something as slight as the crossing of her eyes or the dragging of her leg.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Silver is particularly interesting because it's also found in utterly ancient meteorites called CI chondrites.

— Rahul Rao, Space.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of utterly

Adverb

This in addition to an incredibly massive health data and tracking software and app market, which has grown significantly since the early days of the smartphone.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
That’s only a 30% drop from its first weekend, an incredibly modest slide for a blockbuster.

— Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of incredibly

Adverb

The planet had remained hidden in the data all this time, overshadowed by its considerably brighter star and two companion planets.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
In this situation, the Bao 5 feels impressively punchy and is certainly capable of keeping pace with considerably more expensive rivals.

— Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of considerably

Adverb

Given that humans at OpenAI had decided to turn off some safeguards for the test, some have argued the outcome should not have been terribly surprising.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
In a world that had long equated labor with the physical act of making things, such a shift was seen as not terribly manly, and potentially dangerous to society as a whole.

— Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026