ugly duckling
noun
an unattractive or unpromising child who becomes a beautiful or much-admired adult.
Origin of ugly duckling
First recorded in 1880–85; after the bird in the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen
Words nearby ugly duckling
uglify,
ugly,
ugly american,
ugly as sin,
ugly customer,
ugly duckling,
ugrian,
ugric,
ugsome,
uh,
uh-huh
British Dictionary definitions for ugly duckling
ugly duckling
noun
a person or thing, initially ugly or unpromising, that changes into something beautiful or admirable
Word Origin for ugly duckling
an allusion to
The Ugly Duckling, a story by Hans Christian Andersen
Idioms and Phrases with ugly duckling
ugly duckling
A homely or unpromising individual who grows into an attractive or talented person, as in She was the family ugly duckling but blossomed in her twenties. This term alludes to Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about a cygnet hatched with ducklings that is despised for its clumsiness until it grows up into a beautiful swan. The tale was first translated into English in 1846, and the term was used figuratively by 1871.