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
That effort included adding a new ceiling to the entire space.
—
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2024
Dubai's high-end stores weren't spared either, as rainwater gushed through the ceilings of shopping malls.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
Despite being primarily an R&D tool, the original Atlas still played an important symbolic role, acting as a technical ceiling for what other bipedal robots could achieve.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024
Likewise, the formal dining room also sports French doors of its own and a vaulted ceiling, while the adjoining kitchen has a distinctly 2000s flare with speckled granite countertops, plus custom cabinetry and top-of-the-line Wolf and SubZero appliances.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024
Today, the vaulting near the ceiling is unfinished and some statue niches remain empty.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Here, white beaded-board paneling on the ceiling and walls adds to the calming bathroom color scheme and provides an architectural layer.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
Latham has a bully mentality and his premium physical traits and talent sets his ceiling at Pro-Bowl-caliber right tackle or guard.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted up into the ceiling.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2024
Dubai's high-end stores weren't spared either, as rainwater gushed through the ceilings of shopping malls.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
Despite being primarily an R&D tool, the original Atlas still played an important symbolic role, acting as a technical ceiling for what other bipedal robots could achieve.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024
Likewise, the formal dining room also sports French doors of its own and a vaulted ceiling, while the adjoining kitchen has a distinctly 2000s flare with speckled granite countertops, plus custom cabinetry and top-of-the-line Wolf and SubZero appliances.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024
Today, the vaulting near the ceiling is unfinished and some statue niches remain empty.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Here, white beaded-board paneling on the ceiling and walls adds to the calming bathroom color scheme and provides an architectural layer.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
Latham has a bully mentality and his premium physical traits and talent sets his ceiling at Pro-Bowl-caliber right tackle or guard.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted up into the ceiling.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 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 24 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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