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

David flicked, a 3-pointer swished, and the junior stretched his vocal cords to the cavernous audience at the Coliseum with an early dagger. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

The apartment’s centerpiece—the building’s former boardroom—is cavernous, stretching about 47 feet across with ceilings rising more than 14 feet overhead. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2026

So the mission team rolled the Artemis 2 stack off Pad 39B and back to KSC's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repairs. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026

More than 100,000 delegates walk purposefully around eight cavernous halls, each packed with the technology of the future. —Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Mar. 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