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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
And last month the board approved a contract for separate legal counsel from the county office — a move that is highly unusual for education offices, Fine said.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
But though ruthlessly efficient at killing off some frog species, the fungus is highly vulnerable to heat: Temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (about 85 degrees Fahrenheit) slow disease progression.
—Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
That region of the Earth’s atmosphere called the ionosphere can contain varying levels of free electrons that, when highly concentrated, can slow down GPS signals traveling between satellites and device receivers.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
If data governance is highly important for your business, check out Egnyte.
—Robert Anderson, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for highly
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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 1 Dec. 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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