heyday

interjection hey·day \ ˈhā-ˌdā \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of heyday

archaic

—used to express elation or wonder

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Origin and Etymology of heyday

irregular from hey

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First Known Use: 1599

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heyday

noun

Definition of heyday

1 archaic : high spirits

2 : the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity

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Examples of heyday in a Sentence

in its heyday, the circus was a major form of entertainment for small-town America

Recent Examples of heyday from the Web

For those growing up in pro-revolutionary families in the heyday of Soviet aid to Cuba, the socialist state was a paternalistic presence that provided modest but comfortable lives to virtually everyone on the island.

— michael weissenstein and andrea rodriguez, Fox News, "Cuba's 'lost generation' prepares to take power next week," 13 Apr. 2018
For those growing up in pro-revolutionary families in the heyday of Soviet aid to Cuba, the socialist state was a paternalistic presence that provided modest but comfortable lives to virtually everyone on the island.

— michael weissenstein and andrea rodriguez, The Christian Science Monitor, "Cubans await transition of power away from ruling revolutionaries," 13 Apr. 2018
In the 1920s, the heyday of speed skating in the city, there were 600 rinks, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago.

— evan f. moore, Chicago Reader, "Black hockey players excel on ice despite history of racism, lack of rinks in Chicago," 11 Apr. 2018
Going into the capital of Sinaloa was a daunting thought, like trying to wrest control of Chicago away from Al Capone’s grip back in the heyday of Prohibition.

— NBC News, "Book Excerpt: ‘Hunting El Chapo’," 8 Apr. 2018
In the heyday of Houston’s newspaper war in the late 20th century, columnists Maxine Mesinger, Marge Crumbaker and Betsy Parish served as authoritative arbiters of the social scene with witty comments on the city’s boldfaced names.

— clifford pugh, Houston Chronicle, "Remembering Betsy Parish, one of Houston’s favorite social scribes," 6 Apr. 2018
Several of his swimmers were zone champions in the 1980s, a heyday for amateur swimming in the state.

— orlando sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 4/3," 3 Apr. 2018
The ensemble had to abandon the hall at the end of the thirties, for financial reasons, at which point the building experienced a second heyday, as the Paradise Theatre, a famous jazz venue.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Augustin Hadelich’s Bold Violin Explorations," 2 Apr. 2018
Detractors mutter privately that Alioto sounds like a local version of Donald Trump, longing for a glorified heyday that is overly romanticized and will never return.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "The San Francisco of Angela Alioto’s memories was an incredible place.," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heyday.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.