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

Adverb

• again and again
• constantly
• continually
• frequently
• much
• oft
• often
• oftentimes
• ofttimes
• over and over
• repeatedly

Examples of hourly in a Sentence

Adverb

she checks her phone for messages hourly

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

These risks have continued to increase and proliferate, necessitating a culture of adaptability to incorporate new information that arrives daily or hourly, and requiring leaders to act decisively when events happen. —John M. Bremen, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Outbursts, however, have occasionally occurred, pushing that average rate from 25 to 100 shooting stars hourly. —Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025

Adjective

These are hourly workers, but they’re not impressed by me. —Alice Park, Time, 17 Apr. 2025

Zoom out: Wichita, Kansas (+38%), Reno, Nevada (+37%) and Fairbanks, Alaska (+37%) had the biggest gains in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2024, the analysis shows. —Kristal Dixon, Axios, 7 Apr. 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