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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
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024
This was during the heyday of the hippie movement and this shift towards embracing that approach was considered controversial at the time.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Anchoring the horn section is saxophonist/flutist Mitch Frohman, a founding member of the SHO who like Hernández established himself on New York’s Latin music scene during the heyday of salsa dura in the mid-‘70s.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2024
The only surviving structure from the heyday of the neighborhood is Taborian Hall, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
—Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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