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

Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025

Built in the 6th century as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople, the cavernous brick and mortar building was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1,000 years. —Terri Colby, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025

Part of the Community Image Amid the sounds of chiming clocks inside and the calls for Muslim prayer outside, Mr. Shakoor and another repairman were minding the Taj shop in the cavernous ground floor of the Ramada Old Town building, adjacent to Souk Waqif, on a recent evening. —David Belcher, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

Taking over the cavernous two-story former Habitat store on Place de la République, the Run space will also host a retail pop-up that will be open to the public. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 12 Feb. 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