perky
Americanadjective
adjective
-
jaunty; lively
-
confident; spirited
Other Word Forms
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.
A hundred years of perky boosterism were being obliterated by smog.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
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
Palacio and its film adaptation, which featured Julia Roberts, the musical captures the perky and heartfelt spirit of the book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
Not far behind is her perky - and unusual - cover of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025
I have given up on looking perky and am fighting to keep my eyes open.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
