high ‧ ly S2 W2 /ˈhaɪli/ BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ Highness , ↑ high ; adverb : ↑ high , ↑ highly ; adjective : ↑ high ]
1 . [+ adjective, adverb] very
highly successful/effective/efficient
a highly successful politician
Tom’s mother was highly critical of the school’s approach.
highly competitive industries
a highly desirable neighborhood
highly unlikely/likely/improbable/probable
It’s highly unlikely that the project will be finished on time.
T.S. Eliot’s highly influential poem, ‘The Waste Land’
a highly controversial issue
2 . [+ adjective, adverb] to a high level or standard
highly skilled/trained/educated
She is a highly educated woman.
highly paid experts
a highly developed economy
3 . highly placed in an important or powerful position:
a highly placed government official
4 . highly strung especially British English , high-strung American English nervous and easily upset or excited:
a highly strung child
5 . if you think highly of someone or something, you think they are very good and you admire them
think/speak highly of somebody
I’ve always thought very highly of Michael.
a highly regarded author