English Vocabulary in Use - 30 Brick walls and glass ceilings

build something/someone up

build something/someone up

To praise someone or something in a way that will increase expectations of them

cement

to fix bricks firmly in place and to make relationships more solid

to come up against a brick wall

to meet a barrier

ceiling

to suggest a limit to something

glass ceiling

to refer to an invisible barrier that stops people from rising to top positions at work

the roof fell in on my world

My world collapsed

floor can give way

when you faint

go through the roof

increase significantly

hit the roof

to get very angry

window

an opening

window of opportunity

a chance to do something special

goes out of the window

it departs

lives in an ivory tower

conveys an idea of distance from ordinary people

tower of strength

extremely strong (in an emotional rather than a physical sense)

towers above

outstandingly tall or outstanding in some other positive way

be a gateway to

give an opportunity to get somewhere

closed/shut doors

metaphorically used, stops a certain opportunity from being possible

opens doors

enables a opportunity

through/by the back door

doing it unofficially

by the back door

in an indirect or unfair way, or in a way that is not typical

behind closed doors

in private, not in public

provide/hold the key to

suggests the importance of something

the key to success

the most important thing that will help you achieve success