Kate Bornstein
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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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Danica McKellar credits finding balance in her life for keeping her centered during her heyday as a child actress.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
The lone survivor and the Badu era During its heyday, the South Dallas area was home to other theaters that closed their doors long ago, like the Dal-Sec located on Second Avenue.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Designed by Keijiro Yamashita, the prison first opened in 1908 during the second half of the Meiji period, also known as Japan’s industrial heyday.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2026.
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