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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
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Big sis advice Reyes also pointed out a broader shift in how people approach fashion today, compared with the heyday of millennial style.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
The ’90s were the heyday of actors getting Oscar nominations for short films.
—Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
And yet Friedrich Merz will step into Germany’s top job with an immediate chance to be the most influential German chancellor globally since the financial crisis heyday of his longtime rival, Angela Merkel.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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