Kate Bornstein
Did you know?
The day in heyday originally had nothing to do with the kind of day that's made up of 24 hours. Heyday was first used in the first half of the 16th century as an extended form of the interjection hey, used since the 13th century to express elation or wonder, as it still often is in phrases like "hey, look at that!" The day part was most likely just an extra syllable tagged on for effect. By the end of the 16th century heyday had developed noun use with the meaning "high spirits," as when Shakespeare's Hamlet tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame …” It wasn't until the 18th century that the day syllable's resemblance to the word day likely influenced the development of the now-familiar use referring to the period when one's achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.
Examples of heyday in a Sentence
CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Blending the best of old and new, 20 South Battery is a stunning historic mansion that’s been lovingly restored to the grandeur of its heyday in the mid-1850s.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Formed in Melbourne in 1979, Men at Work had a relatively brief heyday.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
The star from Maine grew up rooting for the Celtics and his parents owned a DVD set featuring Boston games from Bird’s heyday.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heyday
Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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