What does "ogress" mean?
A female ogre.
Ogress
/ˈəʊɡɹɛs/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A female ogre.
- Grammar: ogress is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: amazon, bete noire, bogey, bogeyman.
- Usage evidence: Some few days afterward she went thither herself, and said to her head cook:— "I intend to eat little Dawn for my dinner to-morrow." "O! madam!" cried the head cook. "I will have it so," replied the Queen (and this she spoke in the tone of an Ogress who had a strong desire to eat fresh meat), "and will eat her with a sharp sauce."
How to use "ogress"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ogress" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ogress" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ogress" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ogress" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ogress" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "amazon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A female ogre.
"And in the seventh tale of the third day of the same collection, when Corvetto had hidden himself under the Ogre's bed to steal his quilt, "he began to pull quite gently, when the Ogre awoke, and bid his wife not to pull the clothes that way, or she'd strip him, and he would get his death of cold." "Why, it's you that are stripping me," replied the Ogress, "and you have not left a stitch on me." "Where the devil is the quilt?" says the Ogre[.]"
- 2 A roundel sable.
"Beareth Verte, fiue Fermaulxz in Crosse D'Or, a Border d'Argent, charged with eight Ogresses: or, after the French blazon, 'Ogressée de huit pieces'."
- 3 (folklore) a female ogre wordnet
- 4 A fierce, unfriendly woman.
"I remember being the fall guy for the family, having to take the rent down to the ogress of a landlady so that my parents wouldn't have to face her."
Example
"Some few days afterward she went thither herself, and said to her head cook:— "I intend to eat little Dawn for my dinner to-morrow." "O! madam!" cried the head cook. "I will have it so," replied the Queen (and this she spoke in the tone of an Ogress who had a strong desire to eat fresh meat), "and will eat her with a sharp sauce.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ogress"?
Common synonyms include: amazon, bete noire, bogey, bogeyman, bugbear, demon.
How do you use "ogress" in a sentence?
Some few days afterward she went thither herself, and said to her head cook:— "I intend to eat little Dawn for my dinner to-morrow." "O! madam!" cried the head cook. "I will have it so," replied the Queen (and this she spoke in the tone of an Ogress who had a strong desire to eat fresh meat), "and will eat her with a sharp sauce."
How do you pronounce "ogress"?
Pronounced /ˈəʊɡɹɛs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed in the early 1700s from French ogresse, equivalent to ogre + -ess. Piecewise doublet of orcess.
Etymology 2
Uncertain. Attested in this form since 1572. The French term ogoesse is only attested later (1611 in an English dictionary, 1690 in a French dictionary) and may be derived from English. The 1486 Book of Coat Armour in the Book of St. Albans says "gonestonys" are called "oglys" in heraldic blazon; perhaps someone in the 1500s misread ogles as ogres(s) and mistook the plural for a singular, compare the use of pommeis (“roundel(s) vert”) as a singular. The form agresses is found in some 18th century works, alongside ogresses.