ogre

[ oh-ger ]

noun

1. a monster in fairy tales and popular legend, usually represented as a hideous giant who feeds on human flesh.
2. a monstrously ugly, cruel, or barbarous person.

   Synonyms: despot, tyrant, fiend

ogre

/ ˈəʊɡə /

noun

1. (in folklore) a giant, usually given to eating human flesh
2. any monstrous or cruel person

Derived Forms

• ˈogress, noun:feminine
• ˈogreish, adjective

Other Words From

• o·gre·ish [oh, -ger-ish], o·grish [oh, -grish], adjective
• ogre·ish·ly ogrish·ly adverb
• ogre·ism ogrism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ogre¹

1705–15; < French; perhaps ≪ Latin Orcus Orcus

Word History and Origins

Origin of ogre¹

C18: from French, perhaps from Latin Orcus god of the infernal regions

Example Sentences

She challenges the notion that wetlands are purely unpleasant or disturbing — think Shrek’s swamp, where only an ogre would want to live, or the Swamps of Sadness in The Neverending Story that swallow up Atreyu’s horse.

From Science News

Storm in sky and sea matches human passions and conflict; waves grind boulders “with ogre anger.”

From The Daily Beast

His demeanor won him the nickname “ogre of Avetrana” because of his dirty fingernails and soiled clothing.

From The Daily Beast

When the new installment of Shrek opened this past weekend, audiences flocked for another fix of Ogre and Donkey.

From The Daily Beast

A few more Abbe de Pradits, a few more newspaper articles, and from being an emperor, Napoleon would have turned into an ogre.

From Project Gutenberg

And I understood how it had come to pass that our hulking old ogre had fallen in love with her so desperately.

From Project Gutenberg

And we left our nervous ogre and our poor little elf to fight out between themselves whatever battle they had to fight.

From Project Gutenberg

There she silently wept herself to sleep and her dreams were filled with visions of that dreadful ogre, Bonaparte.

From Project Gutenberg

The catch is often very good, and the boats come back to the huts laden with the ogre fish, destined to be eaten in their turn!

From Project Gutenberg

More About Ogre

What does ogre mean?

An ogre is a fictional creature usually represented as a mean, ugly humanlike monster or giant who eats people.

Ogres have traditionally appeared in fairy tales and legends, but they’re also depicted in modern media, such as fantasy video games and the series of movies starring the character Shrek, who happens to be a friendly ogre.

The word ogre is sometimes used in a figurative way as an insult referring to a person who’s cruel, monstrous, ugly, or brutish—or (especially) a combination of these characteristics, as in The boss at my last job was a complete ogre—he had a terrible temper and delighted in harassing and firing people. Such a person can be described with the adjective ogreish (or ogrish).

A female ogre can be called an ogress, but this is not commonly used, especially since the word ogre can be used regardless of gender.

Example: At the end of this level, you have to battle a huge ogre who’s trying to eat you alive.

Where does ogre come from?

The first records of the word ogre come from around the early 1700s. It comes from the French word of the same spelling, which may have derived from the Latin word Orcus, the name of the Roman god of the underworld. However, the origin of the word is uncertain.

An ogre is most commonly shown as a kind of ugly, mean monster. The word troll can refer to a similar creature, but trolls are often shown as being either big or small, while ogres are usually giants. Characters that could be considered ogres appear throughout fantasy literature and legend, even though they may not always be specifically called ogres. Examples include Polyphemus, the Cyclops from Homer’s Odyssey, and Grendel, the monster in Beowulf.

Because ogres are typically depicted as mean and violent, the depiction of Shrek as an ogre who just wants to mind his own business is supposed to be ironic and funny.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of ogre?

• ogress (feminine noun)
• ogreish (adjective)
• ogrish (adjective)
• ogreishly (adverb)
• ogrishly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for ogre?

• monster
• giant
• troll

What are some words that often get used in discussing ogre?

 

• ugly
• big
• mean
• cruel
• fairy tale
• folklore
• legend
• mythology

How is ogre used in real life?

Ogres are associated with their appearance in fantasy stories, where they’re usually villainous monsters. Calling a person an ogre in the figurative sense is a harsh insult and can be very offensive, especially if it’s meant to insult their appearance.

Me, as a Sewer Ogre. I sculpted and painted the prosthetic pieces. A TV episode of Hora Marcada. Alfonso directed me- we co-wrote it… pic.twitter.com/NxOiLgxTou

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 14, 2019

Giant Ogre Sculpture Rips Out of Lawn in Budapest. http://t.co/sFGz7wk6Cf pic.twitter.com/9yTaBtRI2w

— Inhabitat (@inhabitat) July 5, 2015

Always interesting when someone says 'You're actually nice' or 'You're much nicer than I thought'…lol like I'm some kind of ogre.

— Toolz O.D (@ToolzO) November 18, 2013

 

Try using ogre!

Which of the following words would usually be used to describe an ogre?

A. big
B. ugly
C. mean
D. all of the above