Meaning & use
halcyon day
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableliterary
A period in the past that was peaceful, happy, and free from trouble.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural, as in 'the halcyon days of youth'.
Patterns
- the halcyon days of something
- someone's halcyon days
She often talks about the halcyon days of her childhood, when summers seemed endless.
The company enjoyed halcyon days in the 1990s before the market changed.
Word forms
| plural | halcyon days |
|---|
Common combinations
- the halcyon days of youth
- He looked back on the halcyon days of youth with a smile.
- halcyon days of summer
- The halcyon days of summer are a distant memory now.
- remember the halcyon days
- Older residents remember the halcyon days when the town was full of life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- golden age
- A golden age is a period of great achievement or prosperity, often in a nation's history, while halcyon days emphasize peace and happiness rather than success.
- heyday
- Heyday refers to the time of greatest popularity or success, whereas halcyon days highlight calm and contentment.
Opposites
Commonly confused: halcyon day or halcyon?
halcyon day vs halcyon
As a single adjective, halcyon means 'calm and peaceful', as in 'halcyon weather'. The phrase halcyon days is a set expression for a happy past period.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'halcyon days' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Halcyon days refers to a peaceful, happy period, so option 1 fits. The others describe negative or troubled times, which contradicts the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “halcyon day”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.