perk up

verb

perked up; perking up; perks up

informal

1

: to become more lively or cheerful or to make (someone) more lively or cheerful

We perked up when we heard the good news.

The good news perked everyone up.

2

: to make (something) fresher or more appealing

The new paint job really perked up the room.

3

chiefly US, of an animal's ears : to be lifted in a quick and alert way

The dog's ears perked up.

—often used figuratively of a person

My ears perked up when I heard my name mentioned.

Examples of perk up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In August, however, Disney bounced back, and noted, especially at Florida’s Walt Disney World, that attendance had perked up. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

And while any Apple makes our ears perk up, 22% off right now is a particularly good deal! — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

My ears perked up immediately at the sweetness of his songwriting. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

So when a cookbook titled Cookie Queen—written by legendary food stylist Susan Spungen—came across my desk, my ears perked up. — The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for perk up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup