ogress

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

The word ogress is not commonly used, especially since the word ogre can be used regardless of gender.

Ogres and ogresses 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. Spoiler alert: the character Fiona turns out to be an ogress.

The words ogre and ogress are 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 ogress—she had a terrible temper and delighted in harassing and firing people. Such a person can be described with the adjective ogreish (or ogrish).

In heraldry, the word ogress refers to a black circle.

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

The first records of the word ogress referring to a female ogre come from around the early 1700s. Ogre 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. The suffix -ess is used to form female nouns, as in priestess, goddess, empress, and princess.

An ogress 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 ogresses appear throughout fantasy literature and legend, even though they may not always be specifically called ogresses.

What are some other forms of ogress?

• ogre (masculine noun)

What are some synonyms for ogress?

• giantess
• monster
• troll

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

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

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

Statue of Phisuea Samut (The Sea Ogress) from 'Phra Aphai Mani,' the masterpiece epic poem of Sunthon Phu (1844). pic.twitter.com/gHeG8zjvfA

— Dr. Alex Jekyllston 👻👹🦇 (@AventuraObscura) August 13, 2020

In Charles Perrault's fairytale Sleeping Beauty, once the spell is broken & she marries the prince, they have 2 children together named Dawn & Day. The prince's mother, an ogress, tries to eat the kids while he's away but fails miserably.
Art by Adrienne Segur#FairyTaleTuesday pic.twitter.com/Sy18x1Usmo

— Arienne Feyes (@wingandthorn) August 11, 2020

When my Chronic Illnesses start flaring up to maximum & my tears of laughter turn into tears of pain, I feel like Princess Fiona when she starts turning into an Ogress after the sun sets. Like, oh yeah I'm still cursed damn it 😭

— Laura Spoonie 🌻♿ (@LauraSpoonie) November 28, 2018

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

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