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

The beach shuttle allegedly runs hourly; reality probably leans toward every 90 minutes. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026

Buses can be boarded near the Parque Francisco Cantón Rosado and run hourly from Tuesday to Sunday. —Regina Zumarraga, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Wages for hourly employees have crawled, while the paychecks of investors and executives have soared. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026

However, hourly earnings are affected by location, time of day, order volume and tips. —Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 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