'mood-lifter' originates from Modern English, specifically a compound of the words 'mood' and 'lifter', where 'mood' comes from Old English 'mōd' meaning 'mind' or 'spirit', and 'lift' (in 'lifter') comes from Old English 'lyftan' meaning 'to raise' (with the agentive suffix '-er' forming 'lifter').

'mood' changed from the Old English word 'mōd' and eventually became the modern English word 'mood'. 'lift' changed from Old English 'lyftan' and combined with the suffix '-er' (agent noun) to form 'lifter'; the modern compound 'mood-lifter' developed in recent English by combining these elements.

Initially the parts referred separately to 'mind/spirit' ('mood') and 'to raise' ('lift'); over time they combined to create the current compound meaning 'something that raises a person's mood'.