highly

adverb

high·​ly ˈhī-lē How to pronounce highly (audio)
Synonyms of highlynext
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

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
What to do nearby Woods Hole is unique on Cape Cod for its intact, historic downtown, which is highly walkable and located right outside your doorstep here at the inn. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026 Only about half of employees in his research rated leaders highly in demonstrating care. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026 The filing came on Wednesday, the last day of the FCC’s public comment period for its highly unusual proceeding against the eight stations. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 Such an action is highly unusual, and the first of ABC station licenses were not set to expire until 2028. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 July 2026 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

Phrases Containing highly

Rhymes for highly

See All Rhymes for highly

Browse Nearby Words

high/low profile
highly
highly strung
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Highly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of highly for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All