1
as in brightened
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifted
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone speaks to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perked (up)
Verb
-
Similar to cherry mocha, Kaeding says a wine brunette will have that dark base that is slightly brightened by a deeper red or copper tint.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
31 Dec. 2025 -
The policy brightened hopes among borrowers eager for lower payments.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Her adrenal gland would begin to work overtime and she’d be lifted up, energized, hunted, and desperate to outwit her attacker and survive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
He was then placed in a stretcher and lifted up by the rescue chopper.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Republicans, who hold a super-minority in the Legislature and have long raised concerns about taxes and regulations overburdening California businesses, will likely oppose any tax bills.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Funds raised during the 2025 Grammy Awards telecast, MusiCares’ Persons of the Year event and additional fundraising efforts were used to help deal with housing instability, interrupted income, physical health complications and ongoing trauma.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Many were young skaters, taught by the elder Naumov and Shishkova, who looked up to their son.—
Dave Skretta,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Many were young skaters, taught by the elder Naumov and Shishkova, who looked up to their son.—
Dave Skretta,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He is elevated, isolated, burdened, deified--positioned as an emblem.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When Washington famously refused the power that could have come with such popular esteem, the move only elevated that esteem.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Perked (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perked%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
