1
a
: the overhead inside lining of a room
The room has a high ceiling.
b
: material used to ceil a wall or roof of a room
2
: something thought of as an overhanging shelter or a lofty canopy
a ceiling of stars
3
a
: the height above the ground from which prominent objects on the ground can be seen and identified
b
: the height above the ground of the base of the lowest layer of clouds when over half of the sky is obscured
4
a
b
5
: an upper usually prescribed limit
a ceiling on prices, rents, and wages
Synonyms
Examples of ceiling in a Sentence
The house has low ceilings.
The airplane has a ceiling of 32,000 feet.
Recent Examples on the Web
The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted up into the ceiling.
—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The fire eventually caused the ceiling to collapse.
—Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The fixtures selected for certain spaces are low-profile that allowed the light fixture to be installed close to the ceiling, providing more clear height in the rooms.
—Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Marble tiles and white cabinetry line the floors and walls, while a $25,000 Swarovski crystal chandelier adorns the ceiling in the center of the room.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Press the weights toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely and keeping your palms facing your legs.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Apr. 2024
Last week, a LATAM Airlines Boeing plane flying from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, suddenly plunged in midair, injuring some passengers as they were thrown to the cabin’s ceiling.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Located in Gloucestershire, two hours away from London, Badminton House was beautiful, grand and faded with lots of cracks in the walls and ceilings.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
That's in keeping with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., worked out with the White House, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2024
Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The fire eventually caused the ceiling to collapse.
—Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The fixtures selected for certain spaces are low-profile that allowed the light fixture to be installed close to the ceiling, providing more clear height in the rooms.
—Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Marble tiles and white cabinetry line the floors and walls, while a $25,000 Swarovski crystal chandelier adorns the ceiling in the center of the room.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Press the weights toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely and keeping your palms facing your legs.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Apr. 2024
Last week, a LATAM Airlines Boeing plane flying from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, suddenly plunged in midair, injuring some passengers as they were thrown to the cabin’s ceiling.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Located in Gloucestershire, two hours away from London, Badminton House was beautiful, grand and faded with lots of cracks in the walls and ceilings.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
That's in keeping with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., worked out with the White House, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ceiling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ceiling
Cite this Entry
“Ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceiling. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ceiling
noun
ceil·ing
ˈsē-liŋ 
1
: the overhead inside lining of a room
2
: something that hangs over or is above
3
: the height above the ground of the base of the lowest layer of clouds when over half of the sky is hidden by clouds
4
: the greatest height at which an airplane can operate efficiently
5
: an upper usually prescribed limit
a ceiling on prices
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