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

Navajo National Monument, Betatakin Tucked inside a cavernous arch, the ancient village of Betatakin is completely sheltered by the overhanging canyon wall. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Welcome to the new home of the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures, a leaner, livelier version of the cavernous museum that called HemisFair home for more than 50 years. —René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026

Russell Cave National Monument Alabama’s cavernous archaeological site contains an exceptionally complete record of human habitation dating back more than 10,000 years, and is entirely closed to the public as a result of the winter storm. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026

In the cavernous, warehouse-like space, the boys turn into physical exhibitionists, showing off for one another by hoisting heavy chunks of scrap metal and flinging them across the ruin. —Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 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