perky

[ pur-kee ]
See synonyms for perky on Thesaurus.com
adjective,perk·i·er, perk·i·est.
  1. jaunty; cheerful; brisk; pert.

Origin of perky

1
First recorded in 1850–55; perk1 + -y1

Other words from perky

  • perk·i·ly, adverb
  • perk·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use perky in a sentence

  • The house was very small, but perkily pretentious, and they drove under the porte-cochère to alight.

    The Butterfly House | Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
  • "My head was better, thanks, and I felt well enough to go," replied Opal perkily.

    A Fortunate Term | Angela Brazil
  • Miss Florence favored the captain with her most bewitching smile and nodded perkily.

    Cappy Ricks | Peter B. Kyne
  • Mr. Whistler knows how to defend himself so perkily that it is a pleasure to attack him.

    The Gentle Art of Making Enemies | James McNeill Whistler
  • When Charlotta was in good spirits, they always hung perkily over each shoulder, tied up with enormous bows of sky-blue ribbon.

British Dictionary definitions for perky

perky

/ (ˈpɜːkɪ) /


adjectiveperkier or perkiest
  1. jaunty; lively

  2. confident; spirited

Derived forms of perky

  • perkily, adverb
  • perkiness, noun

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