perk
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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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.
-
to act, or carry oneself, in a jaunty manner.
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to put oneself forward briskly or presumptuously.
verb (used with object)
-
to make smart, trim, or jaunty (sometimes followed by up orout ).
to perk up a suit with a new white blouse.
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to raise smartly or briskly (often followed by up orout ).
to perk one's head up.
adjective
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
perks
plural
adjective
verb
verb
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(intr) (of coffee) to percolate
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(tr) to percolate (coffee)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing perk
"Where I'm From"
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 5
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poems about voices of modern culture
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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:
Most workers ignore one retirement-account perk that can save them thousands of dollars in federal taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Streamlining export-rebate procedures is another perk local authorities offer to local firms.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Your workplace may offer a perk where they contract with a provider for a certain amount of advice for employees — but even if that’s free for you, the adviser is still getting paid.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
And credit-card companies are paying restaurants for blocks of early seats so they can offer coveted reservations as a perk for their cardholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
A perk of going to such a big school was that you didn’t stand out as the new girl.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Walmart has also struck ad partnerships with media giants like Disney and NBCUniversal, and it offers perks like access to streaming services for some members.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
The campaigns come one year after protests over lavish perks for lawmakers spiralled into general anti-government anger -- Indonesia's biggest unrest since President Prabowo Subianto took office in 2024.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Credit-card perks: Some premium cards or frequent-flier programs will reimburse you for the membership fee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Regular diners can progress through a bronze, silver and gold system unlocking perks from free dough balls to hot and soft drinks on the house.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Anonymity was one of the major perks of the OASIS.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
