ugly duckling

ug·ly duck·ling
UK/ˈʌɡ.liː ˌdʌk.lɪŋ/Canada, US, Scotland/ˈʌɡ.li ˌdʌk.lɪŋ/Australia/ˈɐɡ.liː ˌdɐk.lɪŋ/New Zealand/ˈɐɡ.liː ˌdɐk.ləŋ/

noun

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

OriginDanish grim ælling →
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Meanings

nounugly duckling (plural ugly ducklings)

plural ugly ducklings

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

    The ugly duckling has become a very fine swan, and Rachel Sprigg and her team have worked hard to ensure that Derby is a worthy winner of that coveted National Rail Award. They can be proud of their achievements.

    2019 December 4, Andy Coward, “Derby's crowning achievement”, in Rail, page 57
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ugly, duckling.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
butterfacemingermuntershrimptrolluggo

Origin

  1. Danishgrim ælling
  2. Englishugly duckling

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

More words from Danish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بَطَّة قَبِيحَة
  • بَطَّة قَبِيحَةone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Bulgarian гро́зно па́тенце, гро́зно пате́нце
  • гро́зно па́тенце (grózno pátence)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • гро́зно пате́нце (grózno paténce)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Catalan aneguet lleig, anegueta lletja
  • aneguet lleigone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • anegueta lletjaone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Chinese Mandarin 醜小鴨 /丑小鸭
  • 醜小鴨 /丑小鸭 (chǒuxiǎoyā)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Czech ošklivé káčátko
  • ošklivé káčátkoone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Danish grim ælling
  • grim ællingone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Dutch lelijk eendje
  • lelijk eendjeone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Esperanto malbela anasido, malbelaj anasidoj
  • malbela anasidoone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • malbelaj anasidojone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Estonian inetu pardipoeg
  • inetu pardipoegone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Finnish ruma ankanpoikanen
  • ruma ankanpoikanenone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
French vilain petit canard
  • vilain petit canardone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
German hässliches Entlein
  • hässliches Entleinone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Greek ασχημόπαπο
  • ασχημόπαπο (aschimópapo)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Icelandic Ijóti andarunginn
  • Ijóti andarunginnone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Indonesian itik buruk rupa
  • itik buruk rupaone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Italian brutto anatroccolo, brutta anatrocolla
  • brutto anatroccoloone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • brutta anatrocollaone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Japanese みにくいアヒルの子
  • みにくいアヒルの子 (minikui ahiru no ko)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Korean 미운 오리 새끼
  • 미운 오리 새끼 (miun ori saekki)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Norwegian stygg andunge
  • stygg andungeone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Polish brzydkie kaczątko
  • brzydkie kaczątkoone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Portuguese patinho feio, patinha feia
  • patinho feioone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • patinha feiaone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Romanian rățușca cea urâtă
  • rățușca cea urâtăone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Russian га́дкий утёнок
  • га́дкий утёнок (gádkij utjónok)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Slovak škaredé kačiatko
  • škaredé kačiatkoone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Spanish patito feo, patita fea
  • patito feoone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
  • patita feaone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Swedish ful ankunge
  • ful ankungeone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Turkish çirkin ördek yavrusu
  • çirkin ördek yavrusuone who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Ukrainian гидке́ каченя́
  • гидке́ каченя́ (hydké kačenjá)one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Cite this entry
APA

ugly duckling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ugly%20duckling

MLA

“ugly duckling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ugly%20duckling. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ugly duckling,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ugly%20duckling.

Source: ugly duckling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.