PERK (UP) Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

perk (up)

verb

ˈpərk

Definition of perk (up)

as in to brighten

to become glad or hopeful we perked up once the sun came out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lift

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 perk (up)

Verb

His hometown team calling his name on the opening night of the NFL Draft a few months later brightened it.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
The restaurant’s name is a nod to former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, whose legacy includes planting wildflowers along Texas highways to brighten the drive.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of brighten

Verb

Chen stepped up and recorded two consecutive kills to lift the Panthers to a three-point win in the final set.

— Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
At the same time, other parts of the economy are already being hit by higher rates, which were lifted by market forces, even before the Fed hiked last month.

— Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

In 2022, the central bank raised rates by three-quarters of a point six days before the midterm elections, part of its fight against the worst inflation in four decades.

— Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
And the evidence uncovered by Chair Loudermilk raises serious questions about Speaker Pelosi's role in those decisions.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

That production is the wrinkle that elevates Seventhirty’s lyrics from modern dating podcast material to pure melodrama.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
The guides elevate the safari experience by representing different places and people of Namibia, from the coastal cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to the Himba in the far north-west and the Khwe Bushmen of the north-east.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

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

perks (up)

perk (up)

perky

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of perk (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes