perky
Americanadjective
adjective
-
jaunty; lively
-
confident; spirited
Other Word Forms
- perkily adverb
- perkiness noun
Etymology
Origin of perky
Explanation
If you are a perky person, you are upbeat, lively and positive. A perky friend would be the one who's always up for games and activities and constantly declaring, "Hey guys, this is fun!" Perky is an adjective traditionally used to describe women or girls, like its synonym bubbly. Perky people tend to have lots of energy. They're always smiling and have a generally cheerful disposition. The enthusiasm of perky can be contagious — soon, you'll also be perky, unless you need a quiet, calm or somber moment. In that case, all that happy chatter can quickly become very annoying.
Vocabulary lists containing perky
Crash
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One for the Murphys
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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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.
To those viewers, she was indistinguishable from Laura Petrie, everybody’s favorite perky wife on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and they couldn’t get over the thought of Laura divorcing Van Dyke’s charming, devoted Rob.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026
As long as oranges are in season, take advantage of their perky perfume by stirring a few tablespoons of zest into the mix.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
Not far behind is her perky - and unusual - cover of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025
But, Jason was going to be alright: the vet said, aside from mild dehydration, the dog was already back to his fluffy, perky self.
From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025
Akimi, Sierra, Miguel, and the perpetually perky Haley Daley sat on a circular couch and played the guessers.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
