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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
Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Slow nukes The heyday of nuclear plant construction in the US was in the 1970s and 80s.
—ArsTechnica, 27 May 2025
Courteney’s longtime assistant coach, once a star flyer herself, Tammy lives and dresses in her heyday, circa 1989, still sporting a high pony, cheer makeup and a Cherry Coke slushie.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 May 2025
Household spending on cars and car parts dropped by 11.1% in the first quarter of 2025, the largest decline since the third quarter of 2021, the heyday of supply chain bottlenecks.
—Christian Weller, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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