perk up

British  

verb

1. to make or become more cheerful, hopeful, or lively

2. to rise or cause to rise briskly

   the dog's ears perked up

3. (tr) to make smarter in appearance

   she perked up her outfit with a bright scarf

4. slang (intr) to vomit

---

perk up Idioms  

1. Restore to good spirits, liveliness, or good appearance, as in You're exhausted, but a cup of tea will perk you up, or The flowers perked up the whole room. [Mid-1600s]

---

Etymology

Origin of perk up

C14 perk, perhaps from Norman French perquer; see _perch ¹

Example Sentences

Still, she perked up last year when she looked around his living room and saw a holstered handgun on a shelf.

From The Wall Street Journal

Churro’s head perked up, and he started to growl at something down below.

From Literature

Home purchase loan applications measured by the Mortgage Bankers Association perked up last week, while agents told Barron’s that buyer interest is picking up earlier in the season than it typically does.

From Barron's

Agents in metropolitan areas across the nation say buyer demand perked up this month.

From Barron's

A program offering subsidies to buy household appliances and electric vehicles helped perk up spending earlier last year, but retail-sales momentum has since waned.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• brighten
• mend
• take heart