perk up
phrasal verb
perked up; perking up; perks up
informal
1
: to become more lively or cheerful or to make (someone) more lively or cheerful
We perked up when we heard the good news.
The good news perked everyone up.
2
: to make (something) fresher or more appealing
The new paint job really perked up the room.
3
chiefly US, of an animal's ears
: to be lifted in a quick and alert way
The dog's ears perked up.
—often used figuratively of a personMy ears perked up when I heard my name mentioned.
Examples of perk up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, regular rounds of afternoon, evening or midnight delight with a willing young stallion rather perk up a day otherwise heavy on balancing books and cleaning up others’ bodily fluids.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 May 2024
The home team perked up, carried play and scored a tie-breaker in the 87th minute.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024
Dan perked up instantly when Stevenson’s name was mentioned.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
The stately spread has a few other perks up its sleeve, including a working pub and a sandy beach.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 May 2024
Those numbers alone should be enough to make a CFO’s ears perk up.
—Bynatasha Piñon, Fortune, 3 May 2024
Serum relies on a blend of elasticity-boosting peptides and brightening antioxidant niacinamide to perk up your complexion.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Mar. 2024
Gavin Stone, still not guaranteed to make the roster as one of two front-runners for the No. 5 rotation spot, perked up his ears at the possibility of getting some drives in during his first international trip.
—Noah Furtado, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Connecting that rest to outside time, the American Psychological Association points to massive benefits to our health both in calming the brain and body as well as perking up cognition.
—Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2024
Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 May 2024
The home team perked up, carried play and scored a tie-breaker in the 87th minute.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024
Dan perked up instantly when Stevenson’s name was mentioned.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
The stately spread has a few other perks up its sleeve, including a working pub and a sandy beach.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 May 2024
Those numbers alone should be enough to make a CFO’s ears perk up.
—Bynatasha Piñon, Fortune, 3 May 2024
Serum relies on a blend of elasticity-boosting peptides and brightening antioxidant niacinamide to perk up your complexion.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Mar. 2024
Gavin Stone, still not guaranteed to make the roster as one of two front-runners for the No. 5 rotation spot, perked up his ears at the possibility of getting some drives in during his first international trip.
—Noah Furtado, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Connecting that rest to outside time, the American Psychological Association points to massive benefits to our health both in calming the brain and body as well as perking up cognition.
—Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perk up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near perk up
Cite this Entry
“Perk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perk%20up. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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