heyday

English

Etymology

Late 16th century, from earlier heyda (1520s), as exclamation – compare hey, hei. Sense “period of success, vigor” from 1751, which respelt as heyday based on unrelated day (as “period of time”) – compare day in the sun.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdeɪ

Noun

heyday (plural heydays)

1. A period of success, popularity or power; prime.

   The early twentieth century was the heyday of the steam locomotive.

Synonyms

• day in the sun

Related terms

• hey

Translations

a period of success, popularity or power

• Danish: blomstringstid (da) c, storhedstid (da) c, velmagtsdage (da) c pl
• Dutch: hoogtijdagen (nl), bloeitijd (nl)
• Finnish: kukoistuskausi (fi)
• Manx: ard-laa (gv) m

• Portuguese: auge (pt)
• Russian: расцвет (ru) (rascvét) m, зенит (ru) (zenít) m, лучшая пора (lúčšaja porá)f
• Spanish: auge (es)
• Swedish: glansdag (sv)

Interjection

heyday

1. A lively greeting.
   • 1798:"Heyday, Miss Morland!" said he. "What is the meaning of this? I thought you and I were to dance together." Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey
2. (obsolete) An expression of frolic and exultation, and sometimes of wonder.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)