# ugly duckling

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ugly-duckling
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A young person who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature.

## Examples

- She was an ugly duckling who grew into a confident woman.
- As a teenager, he felt like an ugly duckling, but by his twenties he had become strikingly handsome.
- The awkward, bespectacled girl everyone ignored in school had been an ugly duckling, transforming years later into a celebrated actress whose beauty seemed almost accidental.

## Origin

Calque of Danish grim ælling. From the fairy tale of a duckling, considered ugly, that matures into a magnificent swan.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.