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 Last season’s experienced and highly touted offensive line wilted against the nation’s best. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Will Smith, Matvei Michkov and Ryan Leonard were all very highly regarded going into the draft and remain so a few years later, albeit to varying degrees. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Set to exec produce, Query sold his original spec to Netflix in a highly competitive situation in December 2025. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Their father was highly critical and verbally, sometimes physically, abusive, and their mother didn’t defend them. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for highly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for highly

Adverb

The balance between efficiency and pleasantness in doing business seems extremely hard to achieve.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare, with only 180 confirmed between 1937 and 2025, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

— Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of extremely

Adverb

If the pH gets too acidic, nitrogen uptake is greatly reduced, leading to a deficiency in the plant, even if there’s plenty of nitrogen in the potting soil.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026
Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic winners Brookwood, Roswell and North Gwinnett all greatly improved their positions with wins last week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of greatly

Adverb

Fast-forward to today, and the brand’s shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, hair masks, and more are flying off the shelf—while the bond-repairing-product business is utterly booming.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
For this is the unintentionally funny story of what happens when utterly unhinged and high-minded hubris becomes your guiding light.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of utterly

Adverb

Iran’s currency – the rial – is incredibly weak and dropped to a record low of two million against the US dollar yesterday.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Instead of using the developed AI software to create the animation, the film is incredibly homespun.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of incredibly

Adverb

So what had begun as a high school problem-solving project became something considerably more ambitious.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
My analysis, built on the County’s framework and precedent, puts the exposure at a considerably higher level.

— Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of considerably

Adverb

The agreement Hansen describes would be a much larger legal matter than a standard screening NDA, and would not be asked of other individuals screening the film — including press and third-party marketing agencies.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
But as the drugs move from a specialist injectable treatment toward an increasingly mainstream weight-management category, beauty is beginning to confront a much bigger commercial opportunity, which — according to insiders — is much more complex.

— Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026