“The Ugly Duckling”

A children's story, told by Hans Christian Andersen. One young bird in a family of ducks is constantly mocked by the other ducks for his ugliness. Eventually, though, he grows up to be a swan — the most beautiful of all birds.

Discover More

An “ugly duckling” is someone who blossoms beautifully after an unpromising beginning.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s the ugly duckling — we know that story.

From

The ugly duckling who has saved him or the homecoming king who looks good until you hit the dance floor?

From

But that didn’t fully prepare him to renovate the “ugly duckling” first home he bought in 2010.

From

For the next hour, longer than she would be onstage, Joplin addressed the reasons behind the pain in her voice — her years as the ugly duckling who was treated as an outcast in high school — and how music was the one thing that she could count on.

From

The soaring demand for warehouses, once the ugly duckling of the real estate industry, underscores their pivotal role in a complex global supply chain.

From

the Ugly American theurgy

Browse