pep someone up

Idioms and Phrases

Invigorate someone or cheer someone up, as in This drink will pep you up , or The good news about his recovery pepped us up . [1920s] Both the verb pep and the noun pep , denoting vigor and energy since about 1910, are abbreviations for pepper , a spice with a pungent, biting quality. They also have given rise to pep rally , a meeting to inspire enthusiasm [c. 1940], and pep talk , a speech meant to instill enthusiasm or bolster morale [1920s].