adjective
-
suggestive of a cavern in vastness, darkness, etc
cavernous hungry eyes
-
filled with small cavities; porous
-
(of rocks) containing caverns or cavities
Other Word Forms
- cavernously adverb
- intercavernous adjective
- uncavernous adjective
- uncavernously adverb
Etymology
Origin of cavernous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word cavernōsus. See cavern, -ous
Explanation
If something reminds you of a cave or cavern in size, shape, or feel, you can describe it with the adjective cavernous. Your cavernous basement is huge, damp, and dark, but fortunately there are no bats down there. Cavernous, "cavern," and "cave" all come from the same Latin root word cavus, meaning hollow. Anything that's vast or deep can be described as cavernous, like your favorite professor's cavernous knowledge about the subject of 17th century literature. As a medical or anatomical term, cavernous refers to something that is porous, particularly when it's filled with tiny blood vessels.
Vocabulary lists containing cavernous
Tuck Everlasting
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Esperanza Rising
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This Week in Words: August 21 - 25, 2017
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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.
On the large screen dominating the cavernous Jinnah Convention Centre, state television aired footage of his arrival and reception by Pakistani officials, prominently including army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
A cavernous main auditorium offered days full of panels and speakers.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Diners were assigned tables in the cavernous space based on how important they were.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Delegates from across China gathered in the cavernous Great Hall of the People for a series of highly orchestrated meetings in Beijing known as the Two Sessions, overseen by President Xi Jinping.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
I keep imagining you in a cavernous room in your creepy old school thinking no one loves you.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
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.
