Advertisement
Advertisement
perk up
verb
- to make or become more cheerful, hopeful, or lively
- to rise or cause to rise briskly
the dog's ears perked up
- tr to make smarter in appearance
she perked up her outfit with a bright scarf
- slang.intr to vomit
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of perk up1
Idioms and Phrases
Restore to good spirits, liveliness, or good appearance, as in You're exhausted, but a cup of tea will perk you up , or The flowers perked up the whole room . [Mid-1600s]Example Sentences
The biggest surprise, one that perked up an otherwise mixed bag of an episode, was Adam Sandler showing up as the patient in a surgery sketch.
"The governor left and Simon fell asleep again in a second after perking up for 15 minutes, which I didn’t think he would manage."
The cashier perked up when asked about the mushroom products.
After the war, the pleasure pier perks up into life once again.
Asked whether he wanted the job permanently, a clearly deflated Hiller perked up.
Advertisement
Related 51Թs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse