ceiling

American  

[see-ling] / ˈsi lɪŋ /

noun

• ceilings
  plural

1. the overhead interior surface of a room.

2. 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.

3. Aeronautics.

   1. 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.

   2. Also called absolute ceiling. the maximum altitude at which a particular aircraft can operate under specified conditions.

4. Meteorology. the height above ground level of the lowest layer of clouds that cover more than half of the sky.

5. a lining applied for structural reasons to a framework, especially in the interior surfaces of a ship or boat.

6. 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.

7. the act or work of a person who makes or finishes a ceiling.

8. vaulting, as in a medieval church.

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idioms

1. hit the ceiling, to become enraged.

   When he saw the amount of the bill, he hit the ceiling.

ceiling British  

/ ˈsiːlɪŋ /

noun

1. the inner upper surface of a room

2. 1. an upper limit, such as one set by regulation on prices or wages

   2. ( as modifier )

      ceiling prices

3. the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climb measured under specified conditions See also service ceiling absolute ceiling

4. 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

5. a wooden or metal surface fixed to the interior frames of a vessel for rigidity

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ceiling More Idioms  

1. see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subceiling
  noun
• underceiling
  noun
• ceilinged
  adjective
• unceilinged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ceilings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ceiling

1350–1400, ceiling for def. 7; Middle English; see ceil, -ing ¹

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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

See Examples For:

ceiling ceilings

Their measurements provided some of the first estimates of the upper size limits for North American crayfish, and the results suggested that these animals may face a surprisingly consistent growth ceiling.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

He went on and on, speaking to the ceiling, the floor, the saltshaker, to an invisible audience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

He added that the policy was "neither a subsidy nor a price control" and the ceiling would be reviewed every month.

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

In the middle of the night, every shadow that loomed on the ceiling and walls appeared like hands ready to snatch him away.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

In 2024, a humorous video went viral on Tiktok, featuring students and teachers at one high school in Seine-Saint-Denis complaining of rundown facilities, including leaking ceilings and a lack of chairs.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

“Upstairs, 20-foot wood-clad ceilings rise above expansive living and entertaining spaces, where history details meet an industrial edge of exposed ductwork, steel, and glass,” the listing continues.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Residents are believed to have exited and entered their homes via openings in their ceilings, and to have traversed the city by scrambling across their neighbors’ roofs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 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

We entered the kind of room they only have in museums—vaulted ceilings, paintings on the walls.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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Related Words

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