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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2026
Just like in their initial heyday, these versatile bottoms are available in many styles ranging from low-rise and fully relaxed to floor-grazing bottoms with a slimmer fit at the thigh.
—Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Especially one that has the heyday of perhaps the best player to ever walk the planet, the best Yankee hitter since Mickey Mantle and two once-in-a-generation pitchers both in the same generation.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
While many of the notable Art Deco buildings that give the area its charm were constructed in the 1930s, Miami Beach had a second heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, when TV stars including Jackie Gleason helped draw tourists to the town with the backdrop of swaying palm trees and a tropical moon.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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