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
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Residents of Monticello, San Juan County’s seat, and the site of a uranium mill from 1942 to 1960, awoke to a fine yellow dust on windowsills during the mill’s heyday.
—Zak Podmore, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Seven other Braves greats from the franchise’s 1991-2005 heyday are already in the Hall of Fame.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Dust ruffles may have gone the way of the dodo after their heyday in the maximalist ’80s, but the absolute best bed skirts (done up in cottagecore ginghams and frothy sateens and linens) are putting the antiquated bed dressing back on the map.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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