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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
Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
From its opening in 2000 to its heyday in the early 2010s, the Kentucky Speedway, once home to NASCAR races, would bring tens of thousands of fans to Gallatin County every race day.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
The combination of a ballooning valuation and huge profit declines since the company’s heyday at the turn of the decade makes the Magic Premium a Halloween ghoul that’s haunting Wall Street.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Naroditsky grew up idolizing Kramnik, who is 50 and who had his heyday in the early 2000s, Rozman said in the video.
—Jason Abbruzzese, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Heyday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heyday. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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