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Synonyms

ceiling

American  
[see-ling] / ˈsi lɪŋ /

noun

  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.

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

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ceiling More Idioms  

  1. see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of ceiling

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

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.

Koch, for instance, sleeps "suspended like a bat" while Glover fits himself into a narrow nook between space equipment and the ceiling of the spacecraft.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“This wage-surveillance ceiling — it’s iron. It’s concrete. It’s something that’s impermeable.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

This limitation is due to a long-standing "physical ceiling" that has been difficult to overcome.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

The Chinese aluminum industry is reaching a capacity ceiling and might be unable to meet higher demand, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The stovepipe came clattering down from the ceiling, belching a bushel of black soot all over us and the room, including the head of Abraham Lincoln.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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.