How do you use "Glass ceiling" in a sentence?

Hit the glass ceiling. Breaking the glass ceiling. The class glass ceiling.

Glass ceiling

Q: What does "Glass ceiling" mean?

Invisible barrier to advancement An invisible barrier that prevents certain groups (often women or minorities) from advancing beyond a certain level despite qualifications. Applies to class too.

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

Meaning: Invisible barrier to advancement

看不见的晋升障碍

Barrera invisible al ascenso

昇進を阻む見えない壁

승진을 가로막는 보이지 않는 벽

An invisible barrier that prevents certain groups (often women or minorities) from advancing beyond a certain level despite qualifications. Applies to class too.

一种无形的障碍，阻止某些群体（通常是女性或少数族裔）在具备资格的情况下超越某一水平。同样适用于阶级。

Una barrera invisible que impide que ciertos grupos (a menudo mujeres o minorías) avancen más allá de cierto nivel a pesar de sus cualificaciones. También se aplica a la clase social.

資格があるにもかかわらず、特定のグループ（多くの場合、女性やマイノリティ）が一定レベル以上に昇進することを妨げる見えない障壁。階級にも適用される。

자격을 갖추었음에도 특정 집단(주로 여성이나 소수자)이 일정 수준 이상으로 올라가지 못하게 하는 보이지 않는 장벽. 계급에도 적용된다.

Examples

Hit the glass ceiling.
碰到了玻璃天花板
chocó contra el techo de cristal
ガラスの天井にぶつかった
유리천장에 부딪혔다
Breaking the glass ceiling.
打破玻璃天花板
rompiendo el techo de cristal
ガラスの天井を打ち破る
유리천장을 깨고 있다
The class glass ceiling.
阶级的玻璃天花板
el techo de cristal de clase
階級のガラスの天井
계급의 유리천장

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: equality, career

Tone: analytical, critical

✓ Do Say

Breaking the glass ceiling
打破玻璃天花板
romper el techo de cristal
ガラスの天井を打ち破る
유리천장을 깨다
Hit the glass ceiling
碰到了玻璃天花板
chocar contra el techo de cristal
ガラスの天井にぶつかった
유리천장에 부딪히다

✗ Don't Say

N/A—widely accepted term
不适用，广泛接受的术语
No aplica, término ampliamente aceptado
特になし、広く受け入れられている用語
해당 없음—널리 통용되는 용어

Common Mistakes

None significant

Origin & History

Coined in the 1970s-80s to describe invisible barriers to women's career advancement. Extended to race and class barriers.

Etymology: Glass (invisible) + ceiling (upper limit)

First recorded: 1970s-80s

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s onwards

Generation: All generations

Social background: About barriers to advancement

Pop culture: Workplace equality discourse

Regional notes: Universal English.

Variations

Glass ceilingThe glass ceiling