unperk

English

Etymology

un- +‎ perk

Verb

unperk (third-person singular simple present unperks, present participle unperking, simple past and past participle unperked)

1. (transitive) To make (someone) less lively or enthusiastic.
   • 1926, Neville Shute, chapter 1, in Marazan‎^[1], London: Cassell:

     I told him I was going into Stokenchurch in his Ford whether he drove me or not. He perked up a bit at that, but I pretty soon unperked him, and at last we got going on the road to Stokenchurch.

2. (intransitive) To become less lively or enthusiastic.
   • 2005, Warren Farrell, Why Men Earn More‎^[2], New York: Amacom, Introduction, page xvi:

     […] one single woman did perk up a bit, about there being a lot of single guys there, but then she unperked when she recalled that the cost of living is higher there.

Anagrams

• punker