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ugly duckling - 3 dictionary results
ugly duckling
–noun
| an unattractive or unpromising child who becomes a beautiful or much-admired adult. |
Origin:
1880–85; after the bird in the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen
1880–85; after the bird in the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
|
Link To ugly duckling
| ugly duckling n. One that is considered ugly or unpromising at first but has the potential of becoming beautiful or admirable in maturity. [After The Ugly Duckling, a story by Hans Christian Andersen.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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