pick-me-up
Americannoun
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an alcoholic drink taken to restore one's energy or good spirits.
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any restorative, as a snack or coffee.
noun
Usage
What does pick-me-up mean? A pick-me-up is something that restores a person’s energy, improves their mood, or generally lifts their spirits, such as a caffeinated drink or a snack, as in I drink coffee every morning because I need a pick-me-up before work. Pick-me-ups can also involve intangible things that help boost your energy or mood, like receiving a compliment, taking a nap, taking a walk, or watching your favorite TV show after a hard day. The term can also specifically refer to an alcoholic drink that is drunk for the purpose of restoring one’s energy or spirit. The word pickup is sometimes used to mean the same thing as pick-me-up, but it is much less common. Example: I could really use a pick-me-up after the terrible morning I just had.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pick-me-up
First recorded in 1865–70; noun use v. of phrase pick me up
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.
See Examples For:
Pair your drink with the cardamom spice loaf, a warmly spiced treat that makes an ideal afternoon pick-me-up.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
He doesn’t partake in alcohol, coffee, or cigarettes, so it’s not like he has something else to provide a pick-me-up.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
On a trip to the highly caffeinated capital of Vietnam, options for a pick-me-up range from traditional egg coffee to wild fruit-infused inventions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
The win in Saudi Arabia was a quick pick-me-up after Napoli lost 1-0 to Udinese in the league at the weekend to leave them third, two points adrift of Inter and one behind Milan.
From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025
“Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts.”
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
But most are cheap pick-me-ups amid a sluggish economy plagued by a property crisis and high local government debt.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026
In the 1980s, Mr. Mateschitz, then a salesman for a company that made personal hygiene products and toothpaste, discovered the elixirs sold in Asian pharmacies as pick-me-ups for workers and truckers.
From New York Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
That hasn’t happened for a long time: they’ve lost five Premier League games in six and need to take their pick-me-ups where they can.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 24, 2021
For all these welcome musical pick-me-ups, the real boost has come from seeing how the Seattle music community has rallied together during this pandemic-induced rough stretch.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2020
But do you know what Yvette did to our pick-me-ups?
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
