man cave

American  

noun

Informal.

man caves plural

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• man caves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of man cave

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

man cave

It will have a man cave with digital walls so I can watch all the Sunday games at the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

I’d say it’s a man cave except it’s not that cool.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 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

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