ugly duckling

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See synonyms for ugly duckling on Thesaurus.com

noun

an unattractive or unpromising child who becomes a beautiful or much-admired adult.

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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, Uhde

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ugly duckling in a sentence

For this ugly duckling we worked on elongating the neck and reducing the waddle, so she moved more gracefully.
Style Invitational Week 1436: Haven’t seen it — new plots for movie titles|Pat Myers|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
Some longtime local acquaintances are struggling to square the man they know with the ugly associations.
No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of those, 1,980 used the term “cute”, while just 12 mentioned the word “ugly”.
The Adorable New Prince George Photos|Tom Sykes|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two seasons ago, the show killed off its main romantic interest, Matthew Crawley, in an ugly car accident.
‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Demand: Bring Back Beth!|Melissa Leon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

How could you take such ugly pictures of a beautiful place?
From Fashion Player to Photographer Monk|Nina Strochlic|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After mom cries out in anguish and frustration on hearing the verdict, the ugly side of the protests rears its head.
Michael Brown’s Stepfather Tells Crowd, ‘Burn This Bitch Down’|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A gentleman expatiating upon the good looks of women, declared that he had never yet seen an ugly woman.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
One Turkish Company, about a hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
She looked Mariequita up and down, from her ugly brown toes to her pretty black eyes, and back again.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
I was perfectly amazed to see how many little ugly habits I had to correct of which I had not been the least aware.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
He would at once become stubborn and ugly, because he is not used to our quick, nervous, impatient ways.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other 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.

ugly duckling

Origin of ugly duckling

Words nearby ugly duckling

Words related to ugly duckling

How to use ugly duckling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ugly duckling

Word Origin for ugly duckling

Other Idioms and Phrases with ugly duckling