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

His suite in the World Trade Center is cavernous, with a view that sweeps from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

The cheers from that snowy day under the cavernous tent testified that an ownership culture can work wonders. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026

Near Plateau Mont-Royal is the cavernous and colorful Marché Floh, spanning decades of fashion history. —Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026

That problem could not be fixed at the launch pad, forcing engineers to haul the 322-foot-tall SLS rocket back to NASA's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building. —William Harwood, CBS News, 27 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