caveman
Britishnoun
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a man of the Palaeolithic age; cave dweller
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informal a man who is primitive or brutal in behaviour, etc
Explanation
In books or movies, a caveman is a character based on early prehistoric humans. Cavemen live in caves and hunt with simple weapons like rocks and clubs. You can also use caveman to refer to any crude and uncivilized guy — like your older brother who tries to impress dates with his belching skills. "The Flintstones" is a perfect example of a cartoon caveman stereotype—the characters live with dinosaurs and wear animal hides as clothing. In reality, the early humans who lived in caves and left behind Paleolithic cave paintings existed at a completely different time than dinosaurs. And scholars believe that most humans during this period lived in simple tents or other temporary structures.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So why, in this glum post-“Walking Dead” era, awaken our much-loved caveman from a good death to such a miserable half-life?
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026
"I gotta go into my cave and become a caveman," he told CBS news.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2024
That original “Ghosts,” with three seasons streaming on Max, features different but still recognizable archetypes: a caveman instead of a Viking; a World War II officer instead of a Revolutionary War soldier.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2023
The whole point of technology, of course, is that it’s supposed to make our lives easier, and to deliver us from the pain and toil of our caveman state.
From Slate • Jun. 26, 2023
What cavewoman or caveman ever got the idea of “domesticating” a plant, and how was it accomplished?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
