perk

¹ American  

[purk] / pɜrk /

verb (used without object)

1. to become lively, cheerful, or vigorous, as after depression or sickness (usually followed byup ).

   The patients all perked up when we played the piano for them.

2. to act, or carry oneself, in a jaunty manner.

3. to put oneself forward briskly or presumptuously.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make smart, trim, or jaunty (sometimes followed by up orout ).

   to perk up a suit with a new white blouse.

2. to raise smartly or briskly (often followed by up orout ).

   to perk one's head up.

adjective

1. perky; jaunty.

   a perk manner.

perk ² American  

[purk] / pɜrk /

verb (used with or without object)

Informal.

1. to percolate.

   Has the coffee perked yet? The research team is perking with new ideas.

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perk ³ American  

[purk] / pɜrk /

Also perc

noun

Informal.

• perks
  plural

1. perquisite.

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perk ¹ British  

/ pɜːk /

adjective

1. pert; brisk; lively

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verb

1. See perk up

perk ² British  

/ pɜːk /

verb

1. (intr) (of coffee) to percolate

2. (tr) to percolate (coffee)

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perk ³ British  

/ pɜːk /

noun

1. informal short for perquisite

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• perkish
  adjective
• perkingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of perk¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perken “(of a bird) to perch on a tree”; akin to perch ¹

Origin of perk²

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; by shortening and respelling

Origin of perk³

First recorded in 1865–70; by shortening and respelling

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Explanation

A perk is something extra you get, in addition to a salary, in exchange for working. The major perk of your job at an ice cream shop might be all the hot fudge sundaes you can eat. Some fairly common job perks include health insurance, free gym memberships, and company cars. You can also talk about the perks, or benefits, of a situation: "I have to ride to school with my annoying neighbor, but the perk is she always brings donuts." As a verb, perk means "to become more energetic or cheerful." So that donut perk? It might be just the thing to perk you up on a Monday morning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perk perks

There are insurance products that offer inflation protection, such as annuities, but retirees have to pay for the perk, she said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Plus, JetBlue goes kid-free, and American Express dilutes a hotel perk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

One of Beijing’s main efforts to perk up spending in the past couple of years has been a program offering subsidies for consumers to replace old household appliances and other products with new ones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

But you should only consider that a genuine perk if you meet that requirement through your normal spending.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Totally confused, I perk my ears to listen to what she and the other girls are saying as the bus starts off again.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

No longer just events where designers use trunks full of samples to sell preorders, many combine the instant gratification of off-the-rack shopping with exclusive locations—private homes, hotels, yachts—and free perks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Is home-working under threat from the perks of office life?

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Some pointed out perks of the pastorate, such as parsonages and gas allowances.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026

Exchanges often offer companies perks such as free marketing and lower listing fees to switch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

There were so many perks to being “white” in a black family, I can’t even front.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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Related Words

• advantage
• bonus
• dividend
• extra
• fringe benefit
• gratuity
• perquisite

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