ugly duckling
an ugly duckling
Meaning:
- a young person who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all expectations.
- one that is considered ugly or unpromising at first but has the potential to become beautiful or admirable in maturity.
- an unattractive child who becomes a beautiful or much-admired adult.
Example:
- Some people think they've turned into an ugly duckling whereas the truth is they are & look the same as they used to in their childhood.
- Mira was mocked for her personality when she was young, but by having been offered a movie as the lead actress, everyone realized that she was an ugly duckling.
- Aditya had no skills during his childhoods but all of a sudden he turned out to be an ugly duckling after being selected for the national football championship.
- I was going through my childhood pictures & to my amaze, I realized that I've turned into an ugly duckling.
- Samaira was all shy & chubby when young. Now she is the most beautiful & fittest actress; indeed, she has turned into an ugly duckling.
- The woman who takes personality development classes wasn't so since childhood but has now turned into an ugly duckling.
- Who calls her an ugly duckling knows nothing about her. She has been exceptionally talented since childhood but never revealed it to the world.
Origin:
The Ugly Duckling is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in which the ‘ugly duckling', mocked and jeered at by his peers, eventually develops into a beautiful swan, hence the idiom derived- an ugly duckling.