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

On Saturday, with the usual early season smattering of fans lost in the cavernous Yale Bowl, Dante Reno didn’t have another comeback or miracle game in him. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Next up is a house tour, from the cavernous, all-white living room to a glimpse of the ornate indoor pool, with V lamenting that the place is so huge he sometimes gets lost. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026

The entrance is a quiet and cavernous space with a magnificent spiral staircase made of stone with wrought iron railings. — Mary Holland, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2026

More than 300 men sleep each night in cavernous dormitories lined with rows of metal beds at Schwartz Men’s Shelter on Wards Island. — Jeffrey Ginsburg, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

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