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View synonyms for perk up

perk up

verb

  1. to make or become more cheerful, hopeful, or lively
  2. to rise or cause to rise briskly

    the dog's ears perked up

  3. tr to make smarter in appearance

    she perked up her outfit with a bright scarf

  4. slang.
    intr to vomit
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of perk up1

C14 perk, perhaps from Norman French perquer; see perch 1
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Idioms and Phrases

Restore to good spirits, liveliness, or good appearance, as in You're exhausted, but a cup of tea will perk you up , or The flowers perked up the whole room . [Mid-1600s]

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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.

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