perk up

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 person

My ears perked up when I heard my name mentioned.

Examples of perk up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Zappia perked up after following the advice from Kuntzendorf and putting it into action. —Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

What Not to Plant with Beans Although beans perk up the growth and health of many veggies, not all plants pair well with them. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2026

Then Keynes believed the government should increase spending, contributing some new energy to perk up hiring and business activity. —Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026

The turkey perked up and flew off. —Emma Allen, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for perk up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup