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In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, heyday was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to our word hey, from which it derives). Within a few decades, heyday was seeing use as a noun meaning "high spirits." This sense can be seen in Act III, scene 4 of Hamlet, when the Prince of Denmark tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame…." The word's second syllable is not thought to be borne of the modern word day (or any of its ancestors), but in the 18th century the syllable's resemblance to that word 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
Emily Blackwood, People.com, 12 July 2025
Three decades after his cycle-racing heyday, Greg LeMond was awarded the congressional gold medal.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
In the years since ANTM’s heyday, the perception of the show has morphed from trashy but harmless to actively malicious.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 9 July 2025
The park is also one of several spots in both the Inner and Outer Banks where Blackbeard was known to roam during his heyday of piracy.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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