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.
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to act, or carry oneself, in a jaunty manner.
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to put oneself forward briskly or presumptuously.
verb (used with object)
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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:
I can’t say I found any of it funny, or even interesting, but the movie at least has enough toddler energy to perk up the under-10 set, which seems to be its only concern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The climate-controlled garage is a major perk in the Arizona heat, and has room for four cars.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
But you should only consider that a genuine perk if you meet that requirement through your normal spending.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
And speaking of Dodger Stadium, the No. 2 playoff seed carries another important perk: the home-field advantage for the Division Series — and possibly the World Series, if the Dodgers make it that far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Ray, whose ears perk to the sounds of songs invisible to Axel.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
A 70-year-old has discovered one of the most delectable perks of retirement: invitations to sumptuous meals, gratis.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
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
Robinhood’s “other revenues” segment jumped 61% to $142 million, lifted by services related to Trump accounts and revenues from Robinhood Gold, the company’s subscription service that offers more perks.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
A pit bull lying in the backyard suddenly perks his head up and barks at us.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
