Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pep

American  
[pep] / pɛp /

noun

  1. lively spirits or energy; vigor; animation.

verb phrase

  1. pep up to make or become spirited, vigorous, or lively; animate.

    We need something to pep up this party.
PEP 1 British  
/ pɛp /

acronym

  1. personal equity plan: a method of saving in the U.K. with certain tax advantages, in which investments up to a fixed annual value can be purchased: replaced by the ISA in 1999 but arrangements for existing PEPs remain unchanged

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

abbreviation

  1. political and economic planning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pep 2 British  
/ pɛp /

noun

  1. high spirits, energy, or vitality

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to liven by imbuing with new vigour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pepful adjective

Etymology

Origin of pep

First recorded in 1840–50; short for pepper

Explanation

Pep is a high spirited kind of energy. It takes a lot of pep (and pom-poms) to be a cheerleader. Watching a school play in which the actors are full of pep is a lot more fun than seeing lethargic performers halfheartedly go through the motions. After a good night's sleep and a cup of tea, you might have plenty of pep to start your day — but it might take your older sister longer to truly wake up. Pep first appeared in 1912, as a shortened form of pepper, which once meant "moxie" or "gusto."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing pep

Scrabble: Palindrome Words

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He lashed out through his White House pep secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday morning.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Farage's profile on the site says customers could pay the Clacton MP to provide messages "for a variety of occasions, from birthdays and retirements to roasts and motivational pep talks".

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Data showing US unemployment rising and inflation slowing gave the Federal Reserve more room to lower borrowing costs and provided some much-needed pep to markets after a recent swoon.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

At one point, Nicholas had to give his bees a pep talk to for another on-camera appearance.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood’s usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn’t come.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.