1
: in or to a high place, level, or rank
2
: in or to a high degree or amount
3
: with approval : favorably
Synonyms
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- deadly
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- jolly
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- monstrous [chiefly dialect]
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- way
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
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 week started with the highly unusual situation where the winner of the Kentucky Derby was not the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
—
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The backlash from Chiefs player Harrison Butker’s highly controversial graduation speech continues — and this time Maria Shriver took time to call him out.
—Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for highly 
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The backlash from Chiefs player Harrison Butker’s highly controversial graduation speech continues — and this time Maria Shriver took time to call him out.
—Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for highly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'highly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near highly
Cite this Entry
“Highly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highly. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
highly
adverb
high·ly
ˈhī-lē 
1
: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely
highly pleased
2
: with approval
speaks highly of you
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