perk

verb \ ˈpərk \

|Updated on: 22 Jun 2018

Examples: perk in a Sentence

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

Stout perked up and dashed the customer toward a small book.

— andy bosselman, San Francisco Chronicle, "As SF Design Week looks to future, William Stout offers old-school design discovery: books," 12 June 2018
But when an announcement involves both Tetsuya Mizuguchi (creator of the amazing Lumines and Rez Infinite) and the inescapable appeal of Tetris (quite possibly one of the most important video games of all time), our attention immediately perks up.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "The Tetris Effect is the trippy block-stacking game we didn’t know we needed," 6 June 2018
Revenues at Applebee’s, however, perked up in its most recent quarter.

— becky yerak, WSJ, "Bankrupt Applebee’s Franchisee Plans Restaurant Closings," 25 May 2018
The racing world will perk up to embrace its newest star, but it’s unclear whether Justify will garner as much mainstream attention as American Pharoah.

— childs walker, baltimoresun.com, "Preakness 2018: Justify looks good the day after, returns to Kentucky; Triple Crown next?," 20 May 2018
Russell’s confidence has perked after his batting average dipped as low as .206 on April 26.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' Addison Russell not paying attention to Manny Machado rumors," 19 May 2018
Downtown businesses had perked up, counting on an influx of new customers.

— justin sablich, New York Times, "When Tim Tebow Comes to Town," 10 May 2018
The picture perks up a bit in its final third when Peter Stormare shows up as a lethal killer with his own moral code.

— noel murray, latimes.com, "Crime drama 'The Assassin's Code' is strictly by the book," 9 May 2018
Hitters must perk up: Though Miley will provide a veteran lefty for the rotation, pitching hasn’t been the Brewers’ problem.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Notes: Left-hander Wade Miley to join Brewers' starting rotation; Brent Suter to the bullpen," 29 Apr. 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

In fact, SiteLock has won multiple awards as a best place to work, highlighting its unique culture, focus on the community, and generous employee benefits and perks.

— azcentral, "Top Companies to Work for in Arizona-Medium Companies," 7 June 2018
Washington Nationals’ Natspass holders get access to family activities, among other perks.

— yoshi kato, The Christian Science Monitor, "ClassPass, MoviePass – now Ballpark Pass," 5 June 2018
Once the new apartments are open, older competitors will offer prospective residents a month of free rent, a break on utilities and other perks to lure them in.

— gordon dickson, star-telegram, "Lots of apartments are being built in Fort Worth, but are you rich enough to rent one?," 4 June 2018
Also, Live will be better able to reward good customers with opulent rooms and other perks.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Cordish Companies to open Live Hotel, adding to casino complex in Hanover," 3 June 2018
Forbes and Statista named it America’s best employer in 2017, just ahead of Google, due to providing healthcare benefits for part-time employees and other perks.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Costco is Set to Raises Wages for 130,000 Employees. Here's How Much," 1 June 2018
Other perks Fingerprint reader, IR camera, included active pen, optional Tilt Pen ($89) Subtle improvements like these make using the Spectre x360 15 pleasantly different from using its predecessor, despite the lack of any notable skeletal changes.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "HP Spectre 15 x360 2018 review: Made better by standard 4K, great battery life," 25 May 2018
Leaders should consider revoking National Republican Congressional Committee financial help or other perks to keep moderates from forcing the issue, several have said.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Freedom Caucus’s Cunning Plan Could Hand the House to Democrats," 23 May 2018
Scammers lure you in by promising low rents, extra amenities, great locations and other perks.

— veronica craker, idahostatesman, "Beware of fake rental listings across the Treasure Valley | Idaho Statesman," 21 May 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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perk

Recent Examples of perk from the Web

Origin and Etymology of perk

perk

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perk

Examples of perk in a Sentence

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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