perkier; perkiest
1
: briskly self-assured : cocky
2
: jaunty
a perky … waltzNew Yorker
perkily adverb
perkiness noun

Examples of perky in a Sentence

He hasn't been his perky self lately. She drove around in a perky little car.
Recent Examples on the Web Shirreffs was a bit amazed, saying that in the post-race test barn, the other horses were clearly exhausted, but Zenyatta was perky, playful, with her head held high. Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023 Baking powder works more slowly, giving the batter a steady lift to ensure a perky, soft muffin. Genevieve Ko, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 Up With People performs a perky, eccentric halftime tribute to the country’s bicentennial, including a wheeled birthday cake—and the event’s first concert-quality sound system. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024 Their waitress was a perky redheaded teenager with a British accent. Marsha Porter, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 The suit perfectly accentuates Gaga's perky peach and legs for days. Emily Shiffer, Women's Health, 11 May 2023 Not surprisingly, some of his strongest songs explore issues of gender identity, in songs built on synth-pop and funk, dreamy soundscapes and perky electro-boogie. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2023 Before dressing up like Ball in the infamous chocolate factory sequence, Ross hit the red carpet in a high, perky pony paired with a white gown and glam red lip. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 16 Jan. 2024 Changing oneself is harder than perky how-to guides and self-help books suggest. Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of perky was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near perky

Cite this Entry

“Perky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perky. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

perky

adjective
perkier; perkiest
: being lively and cheerful
perkiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on perky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!