highly

adverb

high·​ly ˈhī-lē How to pronounce highly (audio)
1
: in or to a high place, level, or rank
2
: in or to a high degree or amount
3
: with approval : favorably

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
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.
Hamm not only spoke highly of Hendricks, but also pointed to the performance delivered by Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson across the show's seven seasons. Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 June 2025 In a highly competitive situation, involving offers from both studios and streamers, Netflix has landed the pitch for a two-hander action comedy to star A Minecraft Movie‘s Jason Momoa and SNL alum Andy Samberg. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 June 2025 Punch likened the grant terminations to only partially treating tuberculosis, which allows the highly infectious disease to become resistant to medicine. Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 For instance, if all your money was invested in Nvidia prior to March 31st, your portfolio would have experienced a drop of 14.7% during those same two highly volatile days of April 2025. Anne-Lyse Ngatta, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for highly

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of highly was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Highly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

highly

adverb
high·​ly ˈhī-lē How to pronounce highly (audio)
1
: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely
highly pleased
2
: with approval
speaks highly of you

More from Merriam-Webster on highly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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