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

Overall, a key part of Lauder’s transformation is to be highly focused on its retail execution and experience — building stores that create services for consumers in makeup, skin care and fragrance, as well as unique products. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Advanced combat aircraft require highly specialised components, manufacturing processes and technical expertise. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Clapp said the firm focuses on avoiding highly leveraged companies and floating-rate debt, instead favoring investments with dependable cash flows to support clients over the long term. — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Still, these are highly watchable actors, and as a movie to have on in the background while making dinner, Animals — so named for the lawless beast inside all of us, not that there’s much traction in that theme — will play just fine on Netflix. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 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