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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
Advertisement Davis, according to those briefed, thinks highly of Borrego.
Lakers
Lakers’ next coach?
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
Hillcrest is already a relatively dense and highly urban area with high-paying jobs in its sprawling medical complex.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2024
Forswearing wild fish is a practice that, if widely adopted, would have a highly desirable effect — saving wild-fish stocks — but that, if taken up by only a few people, would have no effect.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Several of these tools, like the extreme ultraviolet machinery made by the Dutch company ASML Holdings, are highly specialized and made by a handful of non-Chinese companies.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 28 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.
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
Phrases Containing highly
Dictionary Entries Near highly
Cite this Entry
“Highly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
highly
adverb
high·ly
ˈhī-lē
1
: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely
highly pleased
2
: with approval
speaks highly of you
More from Merriam-Webster on highly
Nglish: Translation of highly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of highly for Arabic Speakers
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