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

Part of the challenge for vessels and any potential ship-escorting operations is that the room for maneuver is highly constricted. —Annette Choi, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026

The participants range from marine and freshwater biologists and other scientists to highly skilled recreational divers and documentary filmmakers. —ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

In a highly visible split between House and Senate Republicans, Johnson said the agreement to fund all of DHS minus Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol wasn't palatable to his members. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026

Sivka is a highly promising scoring threat who brings tantalizing versatility as a 6-foot-4 wing. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 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