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

There are 13 caves to explore, ranging in size from, well, cavernous to hopefully-you're-not-claustrophobic. —Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026

Bringing the illusion of less confinement, steel cable railing helps this small balcony feel less cavernous and add a modern flair. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026

In the past, the Bath and Body Works section was in a cavernous tunnel separating the department store from a since shuttered grocery store, far from the rest of the beauty department. —Gabrielle Fonrouge,ryan Baker, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026

But even that effort wasn’t enough to convince Reinsdorf that Karnišovas could dig himself out of the cavernous hole represented by the last four years of failure in Chicago. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 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