hourly

1 of 2

adverb

hour·​ly ˈau̇(-ə)r-lē How to pronounce hourly (audio)
: at or during every hour

hourly

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: occurring hour by hour
hourly bus service
b
: frequent, continual
in hourly expectation of the rain's stopping
2
: computed in terms of an hour
an hourly wage
3
: paid by the hour
hourly workers

Examples of hourly in a Sentence

Adverb she checks her phone for messages hourly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
The average American interacts with software daily, almost hourly. John Spencer-Taylor, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 Check diapers hourly and change them away from the pool to prevent fecal contamination. Lisa Cuchara, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
Adjective
In 2013, a British study of 1,000 mothers found that children asked their parents more than 300 questions per day at an hourly rate that rivals the pace of the Prime Minister’s Questions time. Bob Pearson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 If tips, combined with that hourly rate, don't equal Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25, employers must cover the difference. Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hourly

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hourly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hourly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hourly. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hourly

adjective
hour·​ly
ˈau̇(ə)r-lē
1
: occurring every hour
hourly bus service
2
: figured in terms of one hour
hourly wages
hourly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hourly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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