cavernous

adjective

cav·​ern·​ous ˈka-vər-nəs 

1

a

: having caverns or cavities

b

of animal tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part

2

: constituting or suggesting a cavern

a cavernous warehouse

cavernously adverb

Examples of cavernous in a Sentence

We toured the cavernous airplane hangar.

The dance was held in a cavernous hall.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the summer of 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, both Arsenal and Liverpool had the strange mischance to lift silverware in empty stadia: Liverpool were crowned Premier League champions in an Anfield devoid of fans, while Arsenal won the FA Cup final in a cavernous, echoing Wembley Stadium. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 10 May 2025

The space, not as cavernous as the 7,600-square-foot Animae a couple miles away, is not conversation-friendly, and the just-a-smidge-too-loud music doesn’t help. —Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025

Perhaps the apex of McNally’s success has been Balthazar, a SoHo brasserie in a cavernous space that once contained a leather warehouse. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025

This allusion to cavernous splendor works both for and against the production, which is being directed, once again, by Landau. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin cavernōsus "having hollows or depressions," from caverna "hollow space, cavern entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

cavernous

adjective

cav·​ern·​ous ˈkav-ər-nəs 

1

: having caverns or cavities

2

: resembling a cavern in being large and hollow

3

: composed largely of spaces capable of filling with blood to bring about the enlargement of a body part

cavernously adverb

Medical Definition

cavernous

adjective

cav·​ern·​ous ˈkav-ər-nəs 

1

: having caverns or cavities

2

of tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part