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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.
Examples of heyday in a Sentence
Danilyn Rutherford, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
Rueter: With Eric Quill on the touchline and Acosta pulling the strings, FC Dallas leap to fifth in the Western Conference in their most entertaining season since the heyday of Mauro Díaz and Fabián Castillo.
—Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The tournament started in the heyday of the ODI format in 1998 and aimed to raise funds for the development of smaller cricket countries not part of the ICC’s Full Membership who get the lion’s share of funding.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
On and Off the Avenue Rachel Syme seeks out vintage finds from the heyday of the first New Yorker issues.
—The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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