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.
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
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
Michelle is fluent in the perky command, the passive voice, the slippery non-apology, the kind of language that frames cruelty as blameless happenstance.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
Diego was talking to a short girl, perky with pink glasses and a blue stripe in her blond hair.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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.
