An ogre is a creature from fairy tales and folklore: a huge, ugly, frightening monster that usually eats people. In traditional stories, ogres live in dark forests or gloomy castles, and they terrorize nearby villages. They're typically depicted as dim-witted giants with terrible manners and worse breath, making them perfect villains for brave heroes to outwit or defeat.

A famous ogre in children's literature appears in “Puss in Boots,” where he gets tricked into turning himself into a mouse. Ogres appear throughout European folklore, often as obstacles the clever protagonist must overcome. They represent raw, brutish strength without intelligence or kindness.

In modern stories, ogres aren't always villains. The movie Shrek features an ogre as the hero, showing that even creatures with fearsome reputations can be misunderstood. Sometimes people call someone an ogre if they're acting mean or grumpy, like a teacher who seems scary at first but turns out to be fair.