high‧ly S2 W2 / haɪli / 副词

1 [ + 形容词 , 副词 ] 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 [ + 形容词 , 副词 ] 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