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Perk up
Definitions
- 1 To become more upright intransitive
"His ears perked up when he heard there would be ice cream."
- 2 cause to be alert and energetic wordnet
- 3 To become more lively or enthusiastic. intransitive
"In hopes the coming Scenes your Mirth will raise To you, the Iust pretenders to the Bays; The Poet humbly thus a Reverence pays And you, the Contraries, that hate the Pains Of Labour’d Sense, or of Improving Brains: That feel the Lashes in a well-writ Play, He bids perk up and smile, the Satyr sleeps to Day."
- 4 gain or regain energy wordnet
- 5 To cause to be more upright, straighten up. transitive
"For five minutes Pollyanna worked swiftly, deftly, combing a refractory curl into fluffiness, perking up a drooping ruffle at the neck, or shaking a pillow into plumpness so that the head might have a better pose. Meanwhile the sick woman, frowning prodigiously, and openly scoffing at the whole procedure, was, in spite of herself, beginning to tingle with a feeling perilously near to excitement."
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- 6 to cause to be more lively or enthusiastic. transitive
"[…] ’tis better to be lowly born, And range with humble livers in content, Than to be perk’d up in a glistering grief, And wear a golden sorrow."
- 7 To exalt oneself, take on a higher status or position. intransitive, obsolete
"[…] they should not give heed to Women, that would be perking up in matters of Worshiping God."
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