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

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

The cavernous Washington Hilton ballroom for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was still filled, despite no POTUS on the bill, no comedian, and few administration figures or members of Congress drawing attention in the crowd. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025

At the convention center, a cavernous building buzzing with excited fans, Edson runs into infamous sneaker purveyor the Collector (Fishburne), rumored to have the largest collection of shoes in the country — maybe even the world. —Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025

Like the ghostly hulk of the Titanic below the surface of the sea, Northbrook Court is a quiet and cavernous relic — at the bottom of the retail food chain. —David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 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