man cave

American

noun

Informal.

a room or other area in a home that is primarily a male sanctuary, designed and furnished to accommodate the man's recreational activities, hobbies, etc..

The basement is my husband's man cave—during football season, you can usually find him down there watching the game with his buddies on the big-screen TV.

Etymology

Origin of man cave

First recorded in 1990–95

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.

From the basement, a cross between a man cave and a photo studio, Williams has made parodies of pop, rock, R&B, rap and country songs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

“You walked in—you were in a man cave, with a two-door buzz system. You felt like a criminal.”

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2025

After Christmas, Ian says he's looking forward to converting the boat into a "man cave", where he can return to building his small model boats.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

“Your man cave or she shed is the place to let your imagination and personality take center stage,” Gardner says.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024

What had once been his bedroom was transformed from a smelly, dreary man cave into a simple, neatly organized room.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023