Meaning & use
halcyon days
Last updated
Meanings
nounpluralliterary
A calm, happy period in the past, remembered fondly, often one that seems better than the present.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense: the halcyon days of my youth, not a halcyon day.
Patterns
- the halcyon days of something
- in the halcyon days
She often thinks about the halcyon days of her childhood by the sea.
In the halcyon days before smartphones, we spent whole evenings talking.
The old players spoke fondly of the club's halcyon days in the nineties.
nounpluralrareliterary
In ancient legend, the calm days around midwinter when the sea was said to be still so that the kingfisher could nest.
Grammar: This is the original sense and is rare today; it appears in classical and historical writing.
The legend says the halcyon days are a week of calm weather in winter.
Greek poets wrote that the halcyon days brought still seas.
The book explains how the halcyon days of the myth became a symbol of peace.
Common combinations
- the halcyon days of youth
- He remembered the halcyon days of youth with a smile.
- look back on the halcyon days
- Retirees often look back on the halcyon days of their careers.
- the halcyon days of summer
- The halcyon days of summer felt endless when we were kids.
- long gone halcyon days
- Those halcyon days are long gone.
- recall halcyon days
- The band recalled halcyon days on their reunion tour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- golden age
- Golden age usually describes a whole era of success or culture, not a personal period of happiness.
- good old days
- The good old days is more casual and may be slightly ironic, while halcyon days is more poetic.
- salad days
- Salad days refers specifically to youth and inexperience, not just any happy time.
- heyday
- Heyday describes the peak of power or popularity, whereas halcyon days stresses peace and contentment.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: halcyon days or salad days?
halcyon days vs salad days
Salad days means youthful, inexperienced years, while halcyon days means a peaceful happy time of any age.
Practice
My grandfather often talks about the ____ of his youth, when the whole village gathered for summer festivals.
Choose one answer.
Halcyon days are happy, peaceful times remembered fondly. Dog days refers to the hottest part of summer, and the other options do not suggest fond nostalgia.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “halcyon days”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.