cavernous
adjective
cav·ern·ous ˈka-vər-nəs 
1
a
: having caverns or cavities
b
of animal tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part
2
: constituting or suggesting a cavern
a cavernous warehouse
cavernously adverb
Example Sentences
We toured the cavernous airplane hangar. The dance was held in a cavernous hall.
Recent Examples on the Web When mourners entered Westminster Hall, a cavernous, historic building with a hammer-beam roof, they were met with silence. 
Karla Adam, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 During a recent visit to the Meyerhoff, every nook and cranny of the cavernous building (including the men’s locker room) seemed to contain a string quartet or violin trio working on a different piece of music. Mary Carole Mccauley, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2022 The assortment used to be housed in a soulless, cavernous space close to that palace complex in the Fontvieille district, about as inconvenient a site as possible in a 499-acre country (that’s smaller than Central Park). Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2022 Like many structures on property, the spa here is also built into a 100-year-old wine cellar but this is not dark cavernous space, a serene white space with thoughtful décor awaits. Rana Good, Forbes, 31 July 2022 The cavernous space has ample legroom for taller adults. Matthew Askari, Car and Driver, 28 June 2022 However, the cavernous space now hosts art and music performances below ground. Robin Soslow, Chron, 18 Mar. 2022 While headroom is slightly diminished compared with the CX-5, the CX-50 is plenty spacious for four adults, if not quite as cavernous as the Honda CR-V. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2022 Inside the cavernous sanctuary of a West Valley megachurch, one year to the day after the November 2020 election, Kari Lake preached to her congregation. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2022 See More
Karla Adam, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 During a recent visit to the Meyerhoff, every nook and cranny of the cavernous building (including the men’s locker room) seemed to contain a string quartet or violin trio working on a different piece of music. Mary Carole Mccauley, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2022 The assortment used to be housed in a soulless, cavernous space close to that palace complex in the Fontvieille district, about as inconvenient a site as possible in a 499-acre country (that’s smaller than Central Park). Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2022 Like many structures on property, the spa here is also built into a 100-year-old wine cellar but this is not dark cavernous space, a serene white space with thoughtful décor awaits. Rana Good, Forbes, 31 July 2022 The cavernous space has ample legroom for taller adults. Matthew Askari, Car and Driver, 28 June 2022 However, the cavernous space now hosts art and music performances below ground. Robin Soslow, Chron, 18 Mar. 2022 While headroom is slightly diminished compared with the CX-5, the CX-50 is plenty spacious for four adults, if not quite as cavernous as the Honda CR-V. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2022 Inside the cavernous sanctuary of a West Valley megachurch, one year to the day after the November 2020 election, Kari Lake preached to her congregation. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin cavernōsus "having hollows or depressions," from caverna "hollow space, cavern entry 1" + -ōsus -ous
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
cavernous
adjective
cav·ern·ous ˈka-vər-nəs
1
: having caverns or hollow places
2
: like a cavern in being large and hollow
a cavernous cellar
Medical Definition
cavernous
adjective
cav·ern·ous ˈkav-ər-nəs
1
: having caverns or cavities
2
of tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part
cavernous
adjective
as in gigantic
of a building or room resembling a cave in spaciousness; very significant in size We toured the cavernous airplane hangar. The dance was held in a cavernous hall. a cavernous auditorium Synonyms & Similar Words
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- gigantic
- huge
- large
- massive
- enormous
- vast
- colossal
- hulking
- mammoth
- oversize
- titanic
- mountainous
- monumental
- oversized
- big
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- sizable
- tremendous
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- galactic
- monolithic
- spacious
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- major
- great
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- cyclopean
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- leviathan
- stupendous
- prodigious
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- astronomical
- jumbo
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- bulky
- walloping
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- whopping
- supersized
- pharaonic
- gross
- herculean
- substantial
- outsize
- largish
- heroic
- whacking
- husky
- boxcar
- sizeable
- astronomic
- excessive
- hefty
- tidy
- handsome
- king-sized
- Brobdingnagian
- cosmical
- outsized
- extreme
- hellacious
- Bunyanesque
- goodly
- inordinate
- bumper
- ample
- exorbitant
- copious
- heroical
- capacious
- Himalayan
- super-duper
- extravagant
- biggish
- abundant
- immoderate
- king-size
- plentiful
- roomy
- appreciable
- commodious
- thick
- fat
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tiny
- microscopic
- diminutive
- miniature
- minuscule
- mini
- infinitesimal
- teeny
- microscopical
- wee
- pygmy
- teensy
- little bitty
- slender
- thin
- small
- petite
- minute
- pint-sized
- slight
- pint-size
- smallish
- slim
- microminiature
- Lilliputian
- dinky
- pocket-sized
- pocket-size
- puny
- dwarfish
- little
- teensy-weensy
- teeny-weeny
- half-pint
- undersized
- dwarf
- undersize
- shrimpy
- bantam