ugly duckling

ugly duckling
noun
an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person
Hypernyms: ↑anomaly, ↑unusual person

* * *

noun, pl ⋯ -lings [count]
: a person or thing that is not attractive or successful but that is likely to become attractive or successful in the future

The house is an ugly duckling, but it has a lot of potential.

an ugly duckling that has become a beautiful swan [=an ugly/unsuccessful person or thing that has become beautiful/successful]

* * *

ˌugly ˈduckling [ugly duckling] noun
a person or thing that at first does not seem attractive or likely to succeed but that later becomes successful or much admired From the title of a story by Hans Christian Andersen, in which a young swan thinks it is an ugly young duck until it grows up into a beautiful adult swan.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ugly Duckling — Al …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ugly duckling — ugly ducklings N COUNT: usu sing If you say that someone, especially a child, is an ugly duckling, you mean that they are unattractive or awkward now, but will probably develop into an attractive and successful person. She was a shy, ugly… …   English dictionary

  • ugly duckling — An ugly duckling is a child who shows little promise, but who develops later into a real talent or beauty …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • ugly duckling — ► NOUN ▪ a person who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all expectations. ORIGIN from the title of one of Hans Christian Andersen s fairy tales, in which the ‘ugly duckling’ becomes a swan …   English terms dictionary

  • ugly duckling — n. [from a story by ANDERSEN Hans Christian about a supposed ugly duckling that turns out to be a swan] a very plain child or unpromising thing that in time becomes or could become beautiful, admirable, important, etc …   English World dictionary

  • ugly duckling — noun count someone who people think will never be attractive or successful but who becomes very attractive or successful as they get older …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • ugly duckling — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms ugly duckling : singular ugly duckling plural ugly ducklings someone who people think will never be attractive or successful but who becomes very attractive or successful as they get older • Etymology: From a… …   English dictionary

  • ugly duckling — {n.} An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. * /Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • ugly duckling — {n.} An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. * /Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • ugly\ duckling — noun An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up …   Словарь американских идиом

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