hourly

1 of 2

adverb

hour·​ly ˈau̇(-ə)r-lē 

: at or during every hour

also : frequently, continually

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

Synonyms of hourly

Adverb

• often
• constantly
• frequently
• repeatedly
• continually

Examples of hourly in a Sentence

Adverb

she checks her phone for messages hourly

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Fresh food comes in daily, sometimes hourly, to keep shelves stocked at the Denton Freedom House food pantry. —Bo Evans, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025

Lowe’s operates over 1,753 stores and has about 300,000 workers, mostly hourly. —Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Still, until the $20 fast-food wage went into effect, his hourly pay was still several dollars below the new pay floor. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

In 2021, the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program reported that the average hourly rate for in-home care was US$27. —Kahli Zietlow, The Conversation, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for hourly

• sourly

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