ceiling
Americannoun
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ceilings
plural
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the overhead interior surface of a room.
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the top limit imposed by law on the amount of money that can be charged or spent or the quantity of goods that can be produced or sold.
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Aeronautics.
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the maximum altitude from which the earth can be seen on a particular day, usually equal to the distance between the earth and the base of the lowest cloud bank.
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Also called absolute ceiling. the maximum altitude at which a particular aircraft can operate under specified conditions.
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Meteorology. the height above ground level of the lowest layer of clouds that cover more than half of the sky.
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a lining applied for structural reasons to a framework, especially in the interior surfaces of a ship or boat.
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Also called ceiling piece. Theater. the ceiling or top of an interior set, made of cloth, a flat, or two or more flats hinged together.
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the act or work of a person who makes or finishes a ceiling.
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vaulting, as in a medieval church.
idioms
noun
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the inner upper surface of a room
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an upper limit, such as one set by regulation on prices or wages
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( as modifier )
ceiling prices
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the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climb measured under specified conditions See also service ceiling absolute ceiling
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meteorol the highest level in the atmosphere from which the earth's surface is visible at a particular time, usually the base of a cloud layer
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a wooden or metal surface fixed to the interior frames of a vessel for rigidity
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ceiling
1350–1400, ceiling for def. 7; Middle English; see ceil, -ing 1
Explanation
A ceiling is the upper surface of a room. If you’re lying on the floor, you’re staring up at the ceiling. If you’re lying on the ceiling, you’ll be lying on the floor again soon. You may have heard the sky’s the limit — but in truth, the limit is the ceiling, both physically and metaphorically. The top of a room, but still under the roof, a ceiling is the point at which you can go no farther. You’ll find both helium balloons and hot tempers hitting it. In the workplace, if you aren't getting that promotion and can't understand why, you might have hit a "glass ceiling."
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.
See Examples For:
Musk’s current trillionaire status is also a testament to how much the ceiling for wealth has expanded in the past few years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
"Pump prices should not have to follow every swing in global crude or the exchange rates," Oyedele said, adding that the government was "negotiating a ceiling of 1,350 naira a litre".
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
He told how another resident in the block of flats had complained that there was water pouring through his ceiling.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
A key feature already in place, hanging from the ceiling, is an array of steel clouds packed with concrete, designed to improve acoustics and evoke a sense of airiness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
A birchwood fire was burning fiercely, and already his sodden clothes, hanging from tree roots jutting through the ceiling, were beginning to steam.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Other videos on TikTok and Instagram showed broken toilets, holes in walls and mouldy ceilings across the country.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Guests are welcomed by a gorgeous entrance with 10-foot ceilings, where striped wallpaper, crown molding, and large arched doorways immediately set the tone.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Her friend, Sacha, said the ceilings in Marseille's schools were leaking and conditions were generally rather poor, "so we can't really work a lot of time".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Flags from all over — France, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Canada — hang from low ceilings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The ceilings rose to six meters high, decorated with elaborate paintings of owls in the branches of white poplars.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
