perk

verb \ ˈpərk \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

intransitive verb

1 a : to thrust up the head, stretch out the neck, or carry the body in a bold or insolent manner

b : to stick up or out jauntily

2 : to gain in vigor or cheerfulness especially after a period of weakness or depression —usually used with up

he's perked up noticeably

transitive verb

1 : to make smart or spruce in appearance : freshen, improve —often used with up

2 : to thrust up quickly or impudently

Recent Examples of perk from the Web

The fresh green blooms that perked up across Greater Cincinnati after the last round of spring snow now sit under a thin blanket of powder.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "How often does Cincinnati get snow in spring? When is it going to end?," 9 Apr. 2018
The 78,133 in the Superdome Sunday night completely rejected the Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns main event, only mildly perking up when Lesnar had a surprise win.

— aaron oster, baltimoresun.com, "Ronda Rousey steals the show at Wrestlemania 34 in New Orleans," 9 Apr. 2018
And finally, just walking around a nursery will perk up your gardening senses.

— jeff lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska gardeners, it’s time to germinate something," 29 Mar. 2018
Yet in 2017, the numbers perked back up again, as revenues from LPs got a 10 percent boost over the year prior, to $395 million.

— dan rys, Billboard, "The Future of Downloads, Accelerating Growth & Vinyl Vinyl Vinyl: 5 Takeaways From the RIAA Year-End Report," 22 Mar. 2018
Beleaguered farmers, more used to dealing with political minnows, are perking up.

— The Economist, "Carrots for the sticksMichael Gove courts fretful farmers," 22 Feb. 2018
Kanakamedala says her students always perk up when learning about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which gave great leverage to Southern states in the apprehension and return of runaway slaves.

— alexander nazaryan, Newsweek, "New York City Would Really Rather Not Talk About Its Slavery-Loving Past," 15 Apr. 2015
His eyesight has improved and his ears, laid back when born, have now perked up.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Clover, the adorable fox kit found abandoned last week, is improving at Humane Society," 22 Mar. 2018
By the end of lunch, Cardi’s perked up, cracking jokes.

— jazmine hughes, Cosmopolitan, "Cardi B Gives Her Most Explicit Interview Yet," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of perk

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

perk

verb

intransitive verb

: percolate

First Known Use of perk

1922

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

perk

noun

: perquisite —usually used in plural

See perk defined for English-language learners

Examples of perk in a Sentence

the salary's not great, but the perks make up for it

Recent Examples of perk from the Web

The arrangement with the G.O.P. had resulted in numerous perks for I.D.C. members, including larger staffs and offices, and lucrative committee chairmanships that came with extra cash.

— shane goldmacher, New York Times, "Democrats in New York State Senate Reconcile After Years of Infighting," 4 Apr. 2018
What's a perk of having your brother as your bandmate?

— taylor weatherby, Billboard, "High Valley Discusses Being Siblings in the Spotlight and Sing Drake's 'God's Plan': Watch," 4 Apr. 2018
Immelt, 62, who stepped down as the top executive in August and from the board two months later, also got $1.87 million in perks, mostly relocation benefits.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Biogen pays Pfizer $75 million for schizophrenia treatment," 13 Mar. 2018
That's why one perk of winning is so important: that spot on a Warped tour stage.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "2018 Tri-C High School Rock Off: Last 3 bands earn spots in Saturday's Final Exam," 12 Feb. 2018
January doesn’t get the shine of December, with all of its holidays and parties and songs and all of that, but the perks are similar, just without the hassle and showmanship of December.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Andy Reid’s moment, trading Alex, (not) being a fan, Yordano and lots of college hoops," 23 Jan. 2018
Amazon has received nearly $1 billion in such perks over the last decade, according to a study from Good Jobs First.

— alex shephard, New Republic, "The Amazon Sweepstakes Racket," 19 Jan. 2018
In the often stressful world of air travel, a perk like free Prosecco can be a serious game-changer.

— maggie maloney, Town & Country, "Delta Is Now Serving Free Prosecco on International Flights," 9 Oct. 2017
Young children, in particular, want to be productive contributors to the household, while older ones (think tweens and teens) may require added incentives (like an allowance or perks like extra TV and computer time) to get on board.

— tameeka grant, ph.d., miamiherald, "Give kids chores to help them grow | Miami Herald," 28 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of perk

1824

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

perk Synonyms

Synonyms

bonus, dividend, extra, gratuity, gravy, lagniappe, perquisite, throw-in, tip;

Related Words

pension;

bestowal, presentation;

benefaction, beneficence, benevolence, bounty, charity, generosity, largesse (also largess), philanthropy;

contribution, donation, gift, offering, present;

grant, subsidy;

boon, manna, windfall;

favor, freebie (or freebee), giveaway, premium;

award, prize, reward;

fringe benefit, icing;

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

PERK Defined for English Language Learners

perk

noun

: something extra that someone receives in addition to regular pay for doing a job
: a good thing that you have or get because of your situation

PERK Defined for Kids

perk

verb \ ˈpərk \

perked; perking

1 : to make or become more lively or cheerful

I perked up when I heard the good news.

2 : to make fresher in appearance

Let's perk the room up with fresh paint.

3 : to lift in a quick, alert, or bold way

The dog perked its ears.

Learn More about perk

See words that rhyme with perk Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perk Spanish Central: Translation of perk Nglish: Translation of perk for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of perk for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about perk

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Origin and Etymology of perk

perk

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perk

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Recent Examples of perk from the Web

First Known Use of perk

perk Synonyms

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PERK Defined for English Language Learners

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