Definition of HEYDAYS

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Interjection

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). Around the same time, "heyday" saw use as a noun meaning "high spirits." (This sense can be seen in Act III, Scene IV 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….") It wasn’t until the 18th century that English speakers, perhaps interpreting the "day" of the second syllable to mean "a time or period," began using "heyday" to refer to the period when one’s achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.

Examples of heyday in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In their heyday members of the merchant class were considered grubby hucksters—at least by Europe’s medieval nobility and clergy. — The Economist, "Shopify and the return of the merchant class," 31 Aug. 2019 The Bears had a rare afternoon off one training camp during their Monsters of the Midway heyday. — Will Larkin, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 5, Sid Luckman," 29 Aug. 2019 In the sport’s post-Depression heyday, one audacious grifter beat the odds with an elaborate scam: disguising fast horses to look like slow ones. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "Why Wall Street is Losing Control of Tech IPOs—Data Sheet," 23 Aug. 2019 The technique's heyday came in the Victorian era, as biologists studied stuffed creatures, and the general public, in museums and private homes, appreciated their aesthetic qualities. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, "Taxidermy Is a Metaphor for Our Time," 21 Aug. 2019 The model recalls the bakery’s heyday in the late 1960s, back when owner Herminio Leal used to whip up pan dulce at 1721 Blanco Road. — Madalyn Mendoza, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio artist makes mini Whataburger, Cool Crest," 5 Aug. 2019 The buildings and water towers recall Mendocino’s heyday, from the 1850s to the 1930s, as a redwood logging and mill town. — Sharon Boorstin, latimes.com, "Staying in a water tower in Mendocino is a natural high," 30 June 2019 Approaching their centennials, both are resplendently mirrored examples of a beaux arts heyday. — Anne Farrar, National Geographic, "Here’s why everyone is going to Portugal now," 18 June 2019 Jared Coffin, a successful ship owner from the island’s whaling heyday, built the house in 1845 as a family home. — Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian, "Follow Herman Melville’s Footsteps Through Nantucket," 29 Nov. 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.