ogre

noun

ˈō-gər 

1

: a hideous giant of fairy tales and folklore that feeds on human beings : monster

2

: a dreaded person or object

ogreish

ˈō-g(ə-)rish 

adjective

Synonyms

• grotesque
• grotesquerie
• grotesquery
• monster
• monstrosity

Examples of ogre in a Sentence

The book portrays their father as an ogre who mistreated them.

a horror movie filled with ogres and demons of every description

Recent Examples on the Web

The following scenes are set in that show and tell the ogre's story through life-size wooden puppets complete with mock strings attached to their arms. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

And the other thing is ogres have tempers, and so do Scottish people. —Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024

But that didn’t stop DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg from pitching him the chance to voice a a big green ogre. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024

In it, dozens of people dressed as knights, centaurs, and ogres participate in medieval LARPing while Webster, her face painted like a goblin, plays guitar in the center of the field. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, probably ultimately from Latin Orcus, god of the underworld

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ogre

noun

ˈō-gər 

1

: an ugly giant of fairy tales and folklore that eats people

2

: a dreaded person or object

ogreish

ˈō-g(ə-)rish 

adjective