▪ I. † highly, a. Obs.
Forms: 1 héal{iacu}c, 3 hehliche, 4 heȝliche, hiȝlich, Sc. hyly, 5 Sc. hiely. See also heily.
[OE. héal{iacu}c, f. héah high a. + -l{iacu}c = -ly1.]
1. High, lofty, exalted.
(In quots., a 1400, 1450–70 perh. an adv.)
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. xiv. 20 Gebletsod ys se healica God. c 1000 Hom. II. 160 On healicum muntum. [a 1400 Pistill of Susan 6 (MS. I.) Halles and herbergages, hyly on hyht. 1450–70 Golagros & Gaw. 183 He had that heynd to ane hall, hiely on hight.] |
2. Noble, splendid.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 86 Nan ᵹereord nis swa healic saw Ebreisc. c 1000 Saints' Lives, Oswald (E.E.T.S.) 184 Leoht..swilce healic sunnbeam. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 183 Wyth his hiȝlich here, þat of his hed reches. |
3. Of high degree; intense, profound.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 506 Mid healicum ᵹedwylde. c 1205 Lay. 10291 Þat Seuarus in his hirede Hæfde hehliche grið. 1340 Ayenb. 264 Yef þer by heȝliche clom. |
▪ II. highly, adv.
(ˈhaɪlɪ)
Forms: see high a.
[OE. héal{iacu}ce, f. héah high + -l{iacu}ce = -ly2.]
1. lit. In a high place or situation; aloft, on high; so as to be high or lofty.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 254 [He] asette ðis ᵹewrit..bufon Cristes heafde, healice to tacne. Ibid. 318 Seðe on heofonum is healice sittende. c 1205 Lay. 8088 Þe king hafde his kine-helm Hæhliche on hæfde. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 983 Þe lorde..Hent heȝly of his hode, and on a spere henged. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 19 King Aeolus, highly In castel settled. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 46 b/2 That the membre be collocated softlye, smoothly and highlye. |
2. a. In or to a high position or rank.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xvii. [xix.] (1890) 458 Healice þa cyricean wæs reccende. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xxxii. 122 (Harl. MS.) He shulde wedde hir, & be hiliche avauncyd. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V, 34 b, Knowyng hym to be highly in the kynges favor. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. lxiii. 380 Yet the wickeddest sorte will needes be highliest exalted. 1704 Earl of Cromarty Sp. Parl. Scotl. 11 July, She is one of the Heads and highly situate. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xiv. III. 495 A much greater proportion of the opulent, of the highly descended, and of the highly educated. |
† b. Supremely, principally; specially. Obs.
| 1340 Ayenb. 5 Þe ilke þet deþ his hope heȝliche ine ssepþe, zeneȝeþ dyadliche. |
3. a. In or to a high degree, amount, extent, or condition; greatly, intensely, extremely, very, much.
With such verbs as commend, esteem, extol, honour, praise, value, the sense is coloured so as to run into 3 b or 4 b.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 33 He wolde þæt his lof þe healicor weoxe. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Here cumeð ure king, wule we..him..heiliche wurðie. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 577 For his leawte..rewardyt and that hely. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xvi. 54 (Harl. MS.) When the Emperoure herd this, he was hily meved in all his bowels. 1493 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 49 Than this mayster..thanked god hyghly. 1535 Coverdale Ps. xlvii. 1 Greate is y⊇ Lorde & hyelie to be praysed. 1648 Boyle Seraph. Love (1660) 62 Rare Musick, which..the knowingst Artists still do highliest value. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 106 ¶6 It renders his Conversation highly agreeable. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 184 They would be highly to blame if they did not lay hold of this opportunity. 1826 Disraeli Viv. Grey vi. i, It must be highly amusing. |
b. At a high rate or price.
| a 1225 Leg. Kath. 568 And wiþ kinewurðe ȝeoues ȝelden ou hehliche ower ȝong hider. a 1300 Cursor M. 15224 (Gött) His auen lauerd þaim for to selle, als heili als he might. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 300 Bote he beo heihliche I-huret elles wol he chide. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V, 56 b, Other were sore fined and highly raunsomed. Mod. His services are perhaps too highly paid. |
† c. With elevated voice; loudly, aloud. Obs.
| c 1205 Lay. 822 Heihliche he cleopede. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Laurentius 708 Hely scho sa[i]d, þat al mycht heyre. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1286 They herde..Hornez of olyfantez fulle helych blawene. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxiii. 262, I began to stryue with my brother so hyely that Gybouars myght here me. |
4. a. With high quality of action; in high style; with stateliness or majesty; solemnly; nobly, excellently. ? Obs.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1137 §7 [Hi] bebyried him heȝlice in þe minstre. a 1225 Juliana 76 And don hire bodiþrin in stanene þruh hehliche. a 1300 Cursor M. 22767 Þus heili, bot wel heiliker, Sal cum to deme þe demester. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 755 Sum herber, þer heȝly I myȝt here masse. c 1477 Caxton Jason 47 b, Ye haue seruid me hyely and well. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon clxxii. 684 The quene went forth hyely acompanyed. 1662 J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 8 The Dutch entertain'd me very highly. |
b. With honour, honourably; with high approval, appreciation, or praise: now chiefly with think, speak, or the like.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 190 Heie monnes messager, me schal heiliche underuongen. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1798 Hiȝliche þei heriede god of þat hap fallen. c 1477 Caxton Jason 5 b, Hercules him self..welcomed them hyely. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V, 34 b, These Ambassadours were highly received of the Emperor Sygismond. 1642 Rogers Naaman 387 When we thinke the highliest of ourselves. 1657 Baxter Agst. Quakers 10 Can they yet think highlier of themselves, or speak highlier of themselves, then this? 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 119 He spoke highly of them to Barillon. |
† c. Solemnly, seriously, earnestly. Obs.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 2336 Do now, god, þi grace, And late me haue al þe harm, heiȝeliche i beseche. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 1585 The stywarde heyle hath swornne. c 1440 Gesta Rom. i. 2 (Harl. MS.) Þer met wiþ him a clerke, the which hielie beheld him. 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 53 Euery man laughed..to here it then so sodainly so highly taken. |
d. To a high degree of artistic quality or finish; with perfect workmanship; elaborately.
| 1715 J. Richardson Theory Paint. 156 'Twould be loss of Time to a Painter to finish such things highly. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. xxvii. (1819) 479 The hinges in the wings of an earwig..are as highly wrought as if the Creator had nothing else to finish. 1842 Macaulay Let. in Trevelyan Life (1876) II. ix. 110 They are not expected to be highly finished. |
5. Proudly, haughtily, arrogantly; ambitiously; with indignation or anger. ? Obs.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 56 Nu comeð forð a feble mon, & halt him þauh heihliche. 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 143 Schir amer spak sa hely. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 21 Whanne thei wille speke highely, lete hem be, and go from hem. 1513 More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 789 He tooke it so highly, that thereof ensued much trouble and great bloodshed. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 216 In thy walke, walke not to hyly. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts 128 Why shouldest thou take it so highly as to undertake a war hereupon? 1793 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) II. 272 The Council here talk so highly to Great Britain that you, who know mankind, will conclude them to be afraid. |
6. Like other adverbs, highly is now generally hyphened to a ppl. adj., when this is used attrib.
| 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) I. 259 The highly-rated burlesque poem. 1725 Pope Odyss. iv. 425 O highly-favoured delegate of Jove! 1831 J. S. Mill in Examiner 12 June 24 Indebted to men of highly-cultivated intellects. 1833 Lyell Princ. Geol. III. p. viii, The highly-inclined strata. 1836 J. S. Mill in Lond. Rev. II. 368 The feelings of a highly-educated and sensitive girl. 1860 Ruskin Mod. Paint. V. viii. ii. 171 A handsomer and highlier-furbished edifice. 1875 Jowett Plato IV. 3 Two or three highly-wrought passages. 1910 Busy Man's Mag. July 88/1 He betrays a highly-strung temperament, which is seldom held in leash. 1964 S. Duke-Elder Parsons' Dis. Eye (ed. 14) xxiv. 362 Highly-strung people. 1969 Jane's Freight Containers 1968–69 143/1 There is considerable evidence of highly-integrated freight services being developed. |