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

Grid demand gets mapped hourly The tool also accounts for how electricity demand changes throughout the day. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

WeatherNext 3 now does some of this as well, adding in weather satellite data and upping the forecast frequency to hourly as a result. — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026

Adjective

While average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose a healthy 10 cents in August – after a minuscule rise in July – workers on balance are still seeing prices rise faster than their annual pay. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026

Still, with average hourly earnings showing no signs of a wage-price spiral, the picture is not clear-cut. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 4 Sep. 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