Perked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To raise or prop something upright or in a noticeable position
2. To have been lifted or straightened into a more upright or visible stance ; to have become more alert, cheerful, or energetic
3. Refers to something being moved into a higher or more prominent position ; denotes an increase in liveliness or improved mood

Etymology: The verb "perk" has several candidate origins, and the sources offer more than one. One proposal is that it comes from "prick," with the two sounds swapped over time, which would tie it to the idea of a point rising up. Another suggests it is a variant of "peer" with a frequentative ending, a suffix expressing repeated action. Neither explanation is settled, so the origin remains genuinely uncertain. What is clearer is that the verb reaches English from Middle English "perken," which came from Old Northern French "perquer." Its appearance in the sense of lifting or straightening up is a later development from that earlier stock of meaning. The word also has a surprising relative. "Perk" is a clipping of "perquisite," a word for a benefit or extra gained from employment, and it is also clipped from "percolate" and "percolator." Those clippings are separate routes into the same short form, which is why one spelling carries several unrelated histories.

Synonyms: brightened, lifted, cheered, enhanced, boosted

Antonyms: diminished, depressed, weakened, lowered, neglected