adv
Meaning 1
In a high or esteemed manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- He spoke highly of you.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
highly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈhaɪli/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -aɪli
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CMU ARPABET: HH AY1 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adv
Meaning 2
Extremely; greatly; very much.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- He is in a highly visible job.
- The book was highly controversial yet sold unbelievably well.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 3
in a high position or level or rank
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- details known by only a few highly placed persons
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 4
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- highly successful
- He spoke highly of her
- does not think highly of his writing
- extremely interesting
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: extremely
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 5
at a high rate or wage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- highly paid workers
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English hiȝly, heȝly, heyȝliche, from Old English hēalīce (“highly”), equivalent to high + -ly. Cognate with Dutch hoogelijk (“highly”), German höchlich (“highly”), Danish højlig (“highly”), Swedish högligen (“highly”).
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Catalan: altament — in a high or esteemed manner
- Czech: vysoko — in a high or esteemed manner
- Finnish: kunnioittavasti — in a high or esteemed manner
- Finnish: ylistäen — in a high or esteemed manner
- Finnish: ylistävästi — in a high or esteemed manner
- Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰 (hauhaba) — in a high or esteemed manner
- Hungarian: kedvezően — in a high or esteemed manner
- Hungarian: elismerően — in a high or esteemed manner
- Hungarian: méltatással — in a high or esteemed manner
- Hungarian: dicsérőleg — in a high or esteemed manner
- Polish: wysoko — in a high or esteemed manner
- Portuguese: altamente — in a high or esteemed manner
- Russian: высоко́ (vysokó) — in a high or esteemed manner
- Scots: heichly — in a high or esteemed manner
- Scottish Gaelic: gu h-àrd — in a high or esteemed manner
- Ukrainian: ви́соко (výsoko) — in a high or esteemed manner
- Armenian: սաստիկ (sastik) — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Azerbaijani: xeyli — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Azerbaijani: olduqca — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Bulgarian: много (mnogo) — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Bulgarian: силно (silno) — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Czech: vysoko — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Finnish: hyvin — extremely, greatly, awfully
- French: extrêmement — extremely, greatly, awfully
- German: sehr — extremely, greatly, awfully
- German: extrem — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Hungarian: nagyon — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Hungarian: igen — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Hungarian: rendkívül — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Hungarian: nagymértékben — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Polish: wysoko — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Portuguese: altamente — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Russian: высоко́ (vysokó) — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Scots: heichly — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Scottish Gaelic: gu h-àrd — extremely, greatly, awfully
- Spanish: altamente — extremely, greatly, awfully
Real reading context