hitting the ceiling
Losing one's temper
Hitting the ceiling means becoming suddenly and intensely angry, losing one's temper in an explosive way.
The image suggests rage so forceful it propels someone upward.
When Dad saw the credit card bill, he hit the ceiling.
The phrase is synonymous with hitting the roof and going through the roof, all conveying a similar sense of anger bursting upward and outward.
- freaking outLosing emotional control suddenly
- outrageFierce moral indignation
- furyIntense violent anger
- seeing redOvercome by fury
- peakUtmost height attained
cap · price cap · maximum · indignation · wrath · breaking point · exasperation · at wit's end · go ballistic · blowing a fuse · flying off the handle · saturation point · threshold · apex · roof · frustration · restriction · zenith
hitting the ceilingkeeping calm
keeping one's cool · taking it in stride · rolling with the punches · grinning and bearing it · biting one's tongue
hitting the ceilingover the moon
Extremely delighted
on cloud nine · jumping for joy · walking on air · tickled pink · in seventh heaven