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 of ogre

• monster

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

Mascots, once an afterthought, are celebrities—Gritty, the beguiling ogre that represents Philadelphia’s hockey team, the Flyers, has significantly more Instagram followers than any of the team’s players. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

Zendaya, Marcello Hernandez, and Skyler Gisondo will portray the children of the central ogre couple. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Hitting theaters next summer, Shrek 5 sees Zendaya joining the voice cast that includes returnees Mike Myers as the titular misunderstood ogre, Murphy as his best pal Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

Farewell to the search for Prince Charming—the term takes its name from Shrek, the lovable ogre from children’s literature (and Dreamworks Animation). — Jessica Scemama, Vogue, 22 June 2026

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