What does "ceiling" mean?
The overhead closure of a room.
Ceiling
/ˈsiːlɪŋ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The overhead closure of a room.
- Grammar: ceiling is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cap, acme, aerospace, aerosphere.
- Useful contrasts: danish grund, baseline, baseline level.
- Usage evidence: If you don't have anything to do, look at the ceiling of your room.
How to use "ceiling"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ceiling" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ceiling" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ceiling" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ceiling" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ceiling" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cap" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ceiling", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The overhead closure of a room.
"The dining room had an ornate ceiling."
- 2 the overhead upper surface of a covered space wordnet
- 3 The upper limit of an object or action.
"[…] and only at Barnet did Tappin give Empire of India a burst to bring us up to the 60 m.p.h. speed ceiling of the London area."
- 4 (meteorology) altitude of the lowest layer of clouds wordnet
- 5 The highest altitude at which an aircraft can safely maintain flight.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 maximum altitude at which a plane can fly (under specified conditions) wordnet
- 7 The measurement of visible distance from ground or sea level to an overcast cloud cover; under a clear sky, the ceiling measurement is identified as "unlimited."
"Even though it was cloudy, there was still enough ceiling for the Blue Angels to perform a great show."
- 8 an upper limit on what is allowed wordnet
- 9 The smallest integer greater than or equal to a given number.
"The ceiling of 4.5 is 5; the ceiling of −4.5 is −4."
- 10 The inner planking of a vessel.
- 11 The maximum permitted level in a financial transaction.
- 12 The overhead interior surface that covers the upper limits of a room.
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of ceil form-of, gerund, participle, present
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"If you don't have anything to do, look at the ceiling of your room."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ceiling"?
Common synonyms include: cap, acme, aerospace, aerosphere, air, air hole.
How do you use "ceiling" in a sentence?
If you don't have anything to do, look at the ceiling of your room.
How do you pronounce "ceiling"?
Pronounced /ˈsiːlɪŋ/.
Etymology
From Middle English celing (“paneling; (bed) cover or hanging”), from celen (“to cover or panel walls”) (from Old French celer (“to conceal”)) + -ing (gerund-forming suffix). By surface analysis, ceil + -ing.