highly happy

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "highly happy" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward to some readers.
It can be used to emphasize a strong feeling of happiness, although it is more effective to use simpler expressions. Example: "After receiving the good news, I felt highly happy about the outcome."

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Those with three or more children rank their happiness as 7.4 on average, with a large minority of those (28 per cent) saying they are "highly happy".

Independent

Those who fall within this demographic rank their happiness as 7.4 out of 10 (where 0 is miserable, and 10 is ecstatic) on average, with a large minority of those (28 per cent) saying they are "highly happy".

Independent

It's one of 223 Washington pot stores that sold $260 million in products in the last fiscal year, generating $65 million in state excise tax and hundreds of thousands of highly happy customers.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Smith & Wollensky The highly social happy hour provides a front-row seat to watch speedboats zip past.

The New York Times

John invented a highly undignified "happy dance"; Hank wrote and performed songs, many of them about Harry Potter.

The New Yorker

Although some will see Loaded as an attempt to hitch a ride on the highly successful Happy Mondays and Stone Roses bandwagon, Gillespie has been talking about his love of hip-hop and dance music since 1987.

The Guardian - Music

For example, a health care company may find that patient outcomes are highly correlated with happy employees, or employees who feel happy with the flexibility of their schedules, he said.

TechCrunch

"After 23 highly creative and happy years, for various reasons we have gone our separate ways.

The Guardian

Jonathan Polnay, a lawyer for the prosecution, said that the Patels seemed a "highly respectable and happy family" to the outside world but the veneer hid deep rifts, bullying and abuse.

Independent

The album was promoted by the highly successful single "Happy" performed by Williams.

Wikipedia

Here, "Why do kids kill kids?" becomes "Why would a highly educated, seemingly happy family man obliterate his family?" After you read almost 400 pages of A Wilderness of Error, you are desperate to know: How do those who believe MacDonald killed his family explain why he did it?

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "highly happy" is understandable, opt for more common and natural-sounding alternatives like "extremely happy" or "very happy" for clearer communication.

Common error

Avoid stacking intensifiers; saying something is "highly, extremely happy" is redundant. Choose one strong adjective or adverb to convey the intended degree of happiness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly happy" functions as an adjective phrase, where "highly" serves as an intensifier modifying the adjective "happy". Ludwig indicates this phrase is not commonly used.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

16%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

5%

Unknown

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while grammatically sound, the phrase "highly happy" is an uncommon expression. As Ludwig AI points out, it is more effective and natural to use alternatives like "extremely happy" or "very happy". Found across various sources, including news and media, its use is infrequent, suggesting it might sound awkward to some readers. Therefore, opting for more conventional phrases is recommended for clearer and more impactful communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely happy

Replaces "highly" with a more common intensifier, "extremely".

incredibly happy

Emphasizes happiness to a great degree, using "incredibly".

very happy

Uses a simpler and more frequent intensifier, "very".

exceptionally happy

Indicates happiness that is beyond the ordinary or usual.

utterly delighted

Replaces both words with synonyms, conveying intense joy.

exceedingly happy

Uses a more formal and emphatic intensifier, "exceedingly".

overjoyed

A single word expressing great happiness.

thrilled

Expresses a feeling of excitement and happiness.

elated

A formal term for great happiness and exhilaration.

immensely pleased

Focuses on satisfaction as a source of happiness.

FAQs

Is "highly happy" grammatically correct?

While grammatically understandable, "highly happy" is not a common expression. It's better to use simpler alternatives.

What can I say instead of "highly happy"?

You can use alternatives like "extremely happy", "very happy", or "incredibly happy" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "highly happy" or "very happy"?

"Very happy" is more common and generally preferred over "highly happy". It sounds more natural in most contexts.

Is "highly" commonly used to modify adjectives like "happy"?

While "highly" can modify some adjectives, it's more frequently used with adjectives describing qualities like effectiveness or importance. With "happy", intensifiers like "very" or "extremely" are more typical.