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

While almost every county in the state has a public defender office, most post-conviction cases are handled by private lawyers who are paid hourly, by the case or by the year and work with little to no supervision. — Samantha Melamed, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026

Walmart also noted that the average hourly starting wage is $16. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The path for monetary policy remains in focus, especially after Friday's blowout payrolls report showed that hourly wages continue to grow and implied that the job market is holding up. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

On an hourly basis, power flows range from net exports to double the average imports. — Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026

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