cave dweller: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, literary, historical
Quick answer
What does “cave dweller” mean?
A person or animal that lives in a cave.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person or animal that lives in a cave.
Someone who lives in a primitive, isolated, or unsophisticated way; a person with an outdated or anti-social lifestyle, often in relation to technology or modern society.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Both use the term literally and figuratively.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more common in American English in journalistic/tech contexts (e.g., 'tech cave dweller').
Grammar
How to Use “cave dweller” in a Sentence
[prehistoric/Neanderthal] cave dwellercave dweller [of/from the past]cave dweller [who/that...]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cave dweller” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He seems to cave-dwell when it comes to using smartphones.
- (Note: Very rare and non-standard as a verb)
American English
- Stop cave-dwelling and get a decent computer!
- (Note: Very rare and non-standard as a verb)
adverb
British English
- He lived cave-dwellerly for months after moving to the remote cabin. (Note: Extremely rare/coinage)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form)
adjective
British English
- His cave-dweller attitude towards online banking is frustrating.
American English
- She has a real cave-dweller mentality about social media.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used humorously for a colleague resistant to new software.
Academic
Common in archaeology/anthropology for literal meaning.
Everyday
Used figuratively in informal speech to joke about someone's old-fashioned habits.
Technical
Specific term in archaeology/paleontology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cave dweller”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cave dweller”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cave dweller”
- Using it literally to describe a homeless person living in a tunnel (inaccurate).
- Using it as a neutral synonym for 'hermit' (it carries a stronger connotation of primitiveness).
- Misspelling as 'cavedweller' (should be two words or hyphenated: 'cave-dweller').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When used literally in archaeology, it's neutral. When used figuratively about a living person, it is mildly insulting and humorous, implying they are backward or out of touch.
A hermit chooses solitude, often for spiritual reasons. A 'cave dweller' (figuratively) implies not just solitude but a lack of sophistication, knowledge, or adaptation to modern life.
The standard forms are two separate words ('cave dweller') or hyphenated ('cave-dweller'), especially when used as a compound adjective (e.g., cave-dweller mentality). 'Cavedweller' is non-standard.
Literally, Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. In fiction, the Morlocks from H.G. Wells's 'The Time Machine' or Gollum from 'The Lord of the Rings' are famous cave-dwelling characters.
A person or animal that lives in a cave.
Cave dweller is usually informal, literary, historical in register.
Cave dweller: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkeɪv ˈdwel.ər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkeɪv ˈdwel.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[live/living] in the dark ages (related concept)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CAVE where someone DWELLS. If they've been dwelling there since the Stone Age, they're a classic cave dweller.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIVING IN A CAVE IS BEING PRIMITIVE/ISOLATED (The 'cave' metaphorically represents a state of ignorance, isolation, or technological backwardness).
Practice
Quiz
In a modern, figurative context, calling someone a 'cave dweller' primarily suggests they are: