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

How Bao Now, and the stylish design market Watershed door, where some of Cape Town’s most coveted fashion, accessories, and housewares brands maintain stalls under one cavernous roof. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

Superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett walked through the cavernous concrete tunnels of SoFi Stadium well after Cleveland’s 2023 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. —Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Here cavernous sheet-metal market halls rub shoulders with dilapidated clapboard stores. —Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

In one cavernous room, chairs, barstools, halogen lamps, and storage units have been stacked atop one another, as if someone had been trying to erect a barricade—but who, or what, is being kept at bay? —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 May 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