heyday
1 Americannoun
-
the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime.
the heyday of the vaudeville stars.
-
Archaic. high spirits.
interjection
noun
Etymology
Origin of heyday1
1580–90; variant of high day, apparently by confusion with heyday 2
Origin of heyday2
1520–30; rhyming compound based on hey; replacing heyda < German hei da hey there
Explanation
A heyday is a peak of popularity or success. If you hear someone say "Hey! Back in the day, I was the best boxer in the city! No one could beat me!" he might be remembering his heyday as a fighter. If you remember a time in the past when you were doing something really well or getting a lot of attention or fame, you might be reminiscing about your heyday. A person or an organization — and even a thing — can have a heyday, or a peak time when everything goes well. The good news is that a heyday can come again and again, so while your heyday as student president might be just a memory, there might be a heyday as governor of your state years later.
Vocabulary lists containing heyday
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Wonder
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was very highly paid during the heyday of publishing as a senior editor and eventually editor-in-chief of a major publication.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Even in cable’s heyday, it was never a moneymaker.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
The group, known for hits like Buttons, Don't Cha and I Don't Need A Man, were particularly popular in Europe in their heyday, and Roberts and Wyatt both now live in the UK.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
In its heyday, Barneys was a champion of emerging designers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
He saw past the present moment as though with a magic scope; through this special lens he saw an empire rise, grander and mightier than anything his father had commanded, even in his heyday.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
