highly
Americanadverb
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in or to a high degree; extremely.
highly amusing; highly seasoned food.
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with high appreciation or praise; admiringly.
to speak highly of a person.
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more than adequately; generously.
a highly paid consultant.
adverb
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(intensifier)
highly pleased
highly disappointed
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with great approbation or favour
we spoke highly of it
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in a high position
placed highly in class
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at or for a high price or cost
Etymology
Origin of highly
First recorded before 900; Middle English heihliche, Old English hēalīce; equivalent to high + -ly
Explanation
Highly means to a high degree, extremely. A highly dangerous substance is one to stay far away from. If you think very highly of yourself, you give yourself the thumbs up every time you walk by a mirror. Highly comes from the Old English word healice for basically, "honorably," but has also come to mean “very very.” A highly respected writer is one people look up to. A highly regarded politician will probably win an election. Highly also refers to anything that is intense or extreme. A highly flammable chemical can burst into flames easily. The -ly ending is highly common for an adverb.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The work proved exceptionally difficult because secalosides A and B contain an extremely rare, highly strained 10 membered ring at their core.
From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026
In 2015, he infamously claimed, “I’m very highly educated. I know words. I have the best words.”
From Salon • Jul. 6, 2026
“There are a lot of people in Los Angeles that still think very highly of my dad,” James said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026
The World Bank in May described Afghanistan as "highly exposed to external shocks", with a "widening gap between imports and exports" that hit 70 percent of GDP in the 2025 fiscal year.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
When highly agitated, as she was now, Lord Fredrick’s young bride had a regrettable tendency to blow over anything in her path.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
