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 addition of about 500 new jobs will have a significant impact on the area’s employment and economic landscapes, Sada said, noting that the chamber doesn’t anticipate these positions to be highly specialized roles.
—
Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2025
That will be followed by Sunday’s highly anticipated SNL50: The Anniversary Special, airing on NBC and Peacock at 8 pm ET; see the full guest list here.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 15 Feb. 2025
The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.
—Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
This dopamine boost can lead to a cycling effect, where eating highly palatable foods leads to more cravings for those same non-nutritious foods.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for highly 
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Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2025
That will be followed by Sunday’s highly anticipated SNL50: The Anniversary Special, airing on NBC and Peacock at 8 pm ET; see the full guest list here.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 15 Feb. 2025
The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.
—Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
This dopamine boost can lead to a cycling effect, where eating highly palatable foods leads to more cravings for those same non-nutritious foods.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for highly
Dictionary Entries Near highly
Cite this Entry
“Highly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highly. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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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