perking (up)

verb

present participle of perk (up)
1
as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful we perked up once the sun came out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone speaks to her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perking (up)
  1. brightening
  2. lifting
  3. looking up
  4. raising
  5. glowing
  6. taking up
  7. elevating
Verb
  • From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Here, the exclusive tech is enhanced with firming peptides, caffeine, and marine ferment, plus brightening kakudu plum extract.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of brightening
Verb
  • The officers are seen lifting Belgal from the car before the video cuts off.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • These pieces move with your body while offering comfortable support during a sweaty lifting sesh at the gym.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of lifting
Verb
  • But the current version of this technology goes well beyond an officer looking up a plate number.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Loverro believes the announcement wasn’t much more than an acknowledgment of what people could already see for themselves by looking up.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of looking up
Verb
  • In bidding to halt Howard's execution, his attorneys had filed a motion hours earlier before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals raising concerns about the quality of Texas' execution drugs.
    — JAMIE STENGLE, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Governments are borrowing heavily to finance fiscal deficits, while companies are raising funds to invest in emerging technologies, creating an imbalance that could keep upward pressure on interest rates.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • In a world increasingly filled with glowing screens, e-ink’s cleverest trick may simply be knowing when not to glow.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • By watching the entire auroral oval at once, SMILE can help scientists connect what is happening with the magnetosphere with the auroras glowing below.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of glowing
Verb
  • That’s why the Jmdhkk Hidden Camera Detector may be a good investment to provide a level of safety to your stay without taking up excess space in your suitcase or being difficult to use.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Some are banning their kids from taking up football; others defend it for building bonds and teaching life skills.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of taking up
Verb
  • Luis Antonio Tagle, 69, a Filipino cardinal, was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new dean of the College of Cardinals, elevating his profile as a papal contender in the process.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Yet both categories shared a deeper dedication to materials and craftsmanship, often revisiting their signature styles with tweaks in design or elevating their quality.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of elevating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

perkiness
perking (up)
perks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perking%20%28up%29. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All