highly
/ˈhaɪli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhaɪli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhī-lē/ (ame, mw)
highly — adverb
1. used before particular adjectives to mean that something has a quality to a very
used before particular adjectives to mean that something has a quality to a very great extent, such as being likely, successful, or effective
The sushi at that small restaurant is highly recommended by food critics.
highly + past participle (recommended)
It is highly unlikely that Noor will finish the report before Friday.
highly + adjective (unlikely)
Devika's presentation received highly positive feedback from the audience.
Eric was selected for the team because he is a highly skilled programmer.
The government's new policy remains highly controversial among the public.
- extremely
stronger emphasis, works with more adjectives than 'highly'
- very
the general-purpose intensifier, less formal than 'highly'
- greatly
often used with past participles like 'affected' or 'improved'
- exceptionally
suggests something is unusual even among high-quality examples
文法句型
highly + adjective
highly + past participle
用法筆記
Only certain adjectives and past participles combine naturally with 'highly'. Common pairings include 'likely', 'unlikely', 'successful', 'effective', 'recommended', 'skilled', and 'controversial'. For general intensification of most adjectives, use 'very' instead.
常見錯誤
2. expressing strong admiration or approval toward someone or something when you ta
expressing strong admiration or approval toward someone or something when you talk about them or have an opinion of them
All of her former students speak highly of Professor Chen's teaching style.
speak highly of [someone]
The local newspaper thinks highly of the new community garden project.
think highly of [something]
Wei's research paper was highly regarded by experts in the field.
Most patients speak highly of the care they received at the clinic.
- favorably
more formal, common in written evaluations and reports
- admiringly
focuses on the feeling of admiration rather than approval
- respectfully
emphasizes politeness and deference, not necessarily admiration
- unfavorably
the direct opposite in evaluation contexts
- critically
suggests pointing out faults rather than expressing approval
文法句型
speak highly of [someone/something]
think highly of [someone/something]
be highly praised
be highly regarded
用法筆記
Typically paired with verbs of evaluation: 'speak', 'think', 'regard', or 'praise'. The person or thing being admired is the object of the preposition 'of' after 'speak' and 'think'. The passive form ('be highly regarded', 'be highly praised') is common in formal and academic writing.
常見錯誤
3. in a position of high status, authority, or influence within an organization or
in a position of high status, authority, or influence within an organization or society
The diplomatic event was only for highly placed officials from each country.
highly + past participle (placed)
Sora comes from a highly connected family in the fashion industry.
highly + past participle (connected)
Only highly ranked members of the organization can vote on new rules.
The university attracted a highly influential group of climate scientists.
- influentially
focuses on the ability to affect decisions rather than formal rank
- prominently
suggests being well-known or widely visible
- powerfully
emphasizes the ability to control or direct outcomes
- insignificantly
opposite end of the status scale
- lowly
describes a place at the bottom of a hierarchy
文法句型
highly + past participle (placed / ranked / positioned / connected)
用法筆記
Frequently appears in news and business writing. The adjectives and past participles used with this sense — 'placed', 'ranked', 'positioned', 'connected', 'influential' — all relate to social or professional hierarchy rather than personal qualities.