PERKING (UP) Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

perking (up)

verb

present participle of perk (up)

as in brightening

to become glad or hopeful we perked up once the sun came out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lifting

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 perking (up)

Verb

From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Here, the exclusive tech is enhanced with firming peptides, caffeine, and marine ferment, plus brightening kakudu plum extract.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of brightening

Verb

Wealthier boomers aged into the 75-and-older bracket between surveys, lifting its median.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
China has opened much of its financial sector to foreign firms since 2018, gradually lifting foreign ownership caps on services such as securities, futures and fund management.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of lifting

Verb

Those officers were not wearing body cameras, raising questions about why the agency still hadn't gotten the cameras out to officers in the field.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Similar federal lists in other states have proved highly inaccurate, raising concerns that eligible voters could be disenfranchised.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of raising

Verb

One video showed Super Heavy falling back toward Earth, while the other two revealed Ship powering its way toward orbit, its six Raptor engines glowing yellow-orange with the effort.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
On one, Basquiat made the figure menacing, with glowing red eyes, while another iteration appears almost nervous.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of glowing

Verb

Justin Barocas, a founder of the Anomaly agency, is taking up the reins as CEO, while Kamen will move to an executive-chairman role and Scherma will maintain his position as president.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
That’s why the Jmdhkk Hidden Camera Detector may be a good investment to provide a level of safety to your stay without taking up excess space in your suitcase or being difficult to use.

— Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of taking up

Verb

From elevating beds to expanding sections to sliding walls and even entire roofs, these 10 homes transform to get maximum use out of a compact space.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Holland was ousted in 2020, when Sarandos combined English-language and international content under Bajaria (elevating the latter to the largest autonomous content job in the streamer’s history).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevating

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.

Browse Nearby Words

perkiness

perking (up)

perks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Perking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perking%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of perking (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes