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

All defiant in nature, the shades played off of the cavernous location at Hypostyle Room in Barcelona, driving down a sharp cupid’s bow on the lips. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 24 May 2024

But this time, when the party’s chair, a wealthy donor and former U.S. ambassador named Ron Weiser, took the stage, the cavernous ballroom filled with boos and jeers. —Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 22 May 2024

While the band’s performances are spirited on A Kind of Magic, the songs are hit-and-miss, and Queen sometimes sounds lost in David Richards and Reinhold Mack’s cavernous production. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 18 May 2024

Just like the firm’s hotel lobbies and bars, the common areas feel both welcoming and cavernous, with plate-glass walls and slanted ceilings that rise, in some places, more than 16 feet. —Kurt Soller Josh Robenstone, New York Times, 17 May 2024

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