heyday

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   The time when someone or something was at the height of their success, power or popularity.

   Grammar: Almost always used with a possessive or 'the': in its heyday, in her heyday.

   Patterns

   • in someone's heyday
   • in the heyday of something

   In its heyday the mill employed two thousand people.

   The singer was in her heyday in the late seventies.

   The seaside town has lost the glamour of its heyday.

2. 2nounsingular

   The best period of a trend, industry or style, before it faded.

   Grammar: Often found with 'in the heyday of' plus a thing.

   Patterns

   • in the heyday of something

   In the heyday of the railways, stations were grand buildings.

   The cinema recalls the heyday of silent films.

   Jazz clubs had their heyday in the fifties.

Common combinations

in its heyday

In its heyday the hotel hosted famous guests.

past its heyday

The factory is long past its heyday.

in her heyday

In her heyday she won every title in the region.

enjoy a heyday

The theater enjoyed a heyday in the 1920s.

heyday of the empire

They studied the heyday of the empire.

Synonyms and how they differ

prime

Prime can describe a person's best years now, while heyday looks back at a past peak.

peak

Peak is a single high point, while heyday covers a whole successful period.

golden age

Golden age usually describes an entire era or culture, while heyday can describe one person or business.

zenith

Zenith is more formal and marks the exact highest point.

Opposites

Word family

hey-day noun

an older spelling of heyday

Commonly confused: heyday or heyday vs. holiday?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “heyday”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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