Hourly means happening every hour or being measured by the hour. When a weather app gives hourly forecasts, it tells you what to expect each hour of the day: rain at 2 PM, clearing by 4 PM, sunshine at 6 PM. A clock that chimes hourly rings once every sixty minutes.

The word also describes jobs paid by the hour rather than with a fixed salary. An hourly worker at a bookstore might earn $15 per hour, so working four hours means earning $60. This differs from salaried workers, who receive the same amount regardless of the exact hours worked. Many part-time jobs are hourly, and workers often track their time carefully since more hours means more pay.

You'll also hear hourly used for emphasis about frequent updates or constant change. If someone checks their phone hourly, they're looking at it roughly every hour. When a hospital says a patient's condition is monitored hourly, they mean someone checks regularly throughout the day and night. The word captures both the precise meaning of “once per hour” and the broader sense of “very frequently.”