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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.
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Examples of heyday in a Sentence
Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2024
During her chat with journalist David Wise, the singer and actress revealed that John, 77, would often regale her with stories of his partying heyday with her father Bill, 74.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
That’s how much Bruce, in his heyday, liked to dance.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2024
In its heyday from 1920 to 1980, the city’s garment district employed about 46 percent of the city’s labor force.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 4 Sep. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heyday.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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