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
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.
Once you get past the security guard on the door, a cavernous space is revealed.
From BBC
Addressing thousands of delegates packed into a cavernous hall, Kim admitted mistakes in plans for economic development in "almost all areas".
From Barron's
In the bedroom, rather than doing their best to brighten up the room, which is small and has only one window, Adams and Tolles leaned into the room’s cavernous energy and painted it dark blue.
From Los Angeles Times
A short drive away is the Karmel Mall, a cavernous building and local Somali hub, filled with a maze of stalls selling tea, fashions, jewelry and more.
As Seroka shared his vision for the future in the cavernous AltaSea facility, he emphasized the need to build bigger and smarter.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
