cavernous

[kav-er-nuh s]

See more synonyms for cavernous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being, resembling, or suggestive of a cavern: a vast, cavernous room.
deep-set: cavernous eyes.
hollow and deep-sounding: a cavernous voice.

containing caverns.
full of small cavities; porous.

Origin of cavernous

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word cavernōsus. See cavern, -ous

Related formscav·ern·ous·ly, adverbin·ter·cav·ern·ous, adjectiveun·cav·ern·ous, adjectiveun·cav·ern·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cavernous

Contemporary Examples

Gathered in a cavernous underground hotel ballroom in Washington D.C., all the young people were serious and well dressed.
Why The Values Voter Summit Isn't Any Fun
Ben Jacobs
September 28, 2014
Everyone inside the cavernous O2 arena in East London knew exactly what his complaint would be: This was a Dead Parrot.
Monty Python Forgot Their Lines on Opening Night, but Who Cares?
Nico Hines
July 2, 2014
Set in a cavernous industrial-style warehouse, Psycle HQ feels like a club you want to be a part of.
London’s Own Badass SoulCycle
Emma Woolf
March 17, 2014
Above the matted hair that concealed the jaws and cheeks, blue eyes stared out of cavernous sockets.
Three Great Men Died That Day: JFK, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley
John Garth
November 3, 2013
In 1971, a team of Soviet scientists was drilling at the site when their rig collapsed into a cavernous pocket of natural gas.
A Fiery Pit Rages in the Turkmenistan Desert
Nina Strochlic
August 1, 2013

Historical Examples

But he inquired in a cavernous, strange tone: “Was he asleep?”
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
I followed, not into the moonlit night, but through a cavernous opening into darkness.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald
It was merely a cavernous opening in a high ledge of dark rock.
They of the High Trails
Hamlin Garland
His eyes fascinated me, and he opened his cavernous mouth as if to swallow me.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
The country is cavernous, and the only water is that of the ponds.
The Citizen-Soldier
John Beatty

British Dictionary definitions for cavernous

cavernous

adjective

suggestive of a cavern in vastness, darkness, etccavernous hungry eyes
filled with small cavities; porous
(of rocks) containing caverns or cavities

Derived Formscavernously, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cavernous

adj.

c.1400, "full of caverns," from Latin cavernosus "full of cavities" (source also of Italian cavernoso, French caverneux), from caverna (see cavern). Meaning "hollow" is recorded from 1830.

cavernous in Medicine

cavernous

(kăv′ər-nəs)

adj.

Filled with cavities or hollow areas; porous.

cavernous

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}cavernous

Related Words

Examples from the Web for cavernous

Contemporary Examples

Gathered in a cavernous underground hotel ballroom in Washington D.C., all the young people were serious and well dressed.

Everyone inside the cavernous O2 arena in East London knew exactly what his complaint would be: This was a Dead Parrot.

Set in a cavernous industrial-style warehouse, Psycle HQ feels like a club you want to be a part of.

Above the matted hair that concealed the jaws and cheeks, blue eyes stared out of cavernous sockets.

In 1971, a team of Soviet scientists was drilling at the site when their rig collapsed into a cavernous pocket of natural gas.

Historical Examples

But he inquired in a cavernous, strange tone: “Was he asleep?”

I followed, not into the moonlit night, but through a cavernous opening into darkness.

It was merely a cavernous opening in a high ledge of dark rock.

His eyes fascinated me, and he opened his cavernous mouth as if to swallow me.

The country is cavernous, and the only water is that of the ponds.

cavernous

Word Origin and History for cavernous

adj.

cavernous

Origin of cavernous