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

Though McCoy’s plot is often murkier than the polluted lake around which its events unfold, her voice, highly attuned to sensory experience, shines through. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Red wine is highly acidic and requires an acidic cleaning agent to break down and neutralize the pigments. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 May 2026

These are features that make this home highly energy efficient. —James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

Given the highly turbulent nature of the solar atmosphere, researchers are now examining whether similar variations in type III burst drift rates could be driven by magnetic irregularities, including switchbacks or broader field deflections. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 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