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

At first, a clerk had to slip into the window hourly and wind them up. —Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024

But Illinois' hourly tipped minimum wage ($8.40) towers above that of most Midwestern states. —Monica Eng, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Each person has a part to play in the overall goal, and each person’s goals can scale up and down from hourly to a five-year trajectory. —Ciarán McArdle, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

This hourly energy expenditure can be calculated by dividing the total BMR by 24. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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