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Definition of ugly duckling noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ugly duckling

noun
 
/ˌʌɡli ˈdʌklɪŋ/
 
/ˌʌɡli ˈdʌklɪŋ/
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  1. a person or thing that at first does not seem attractive or likely to succeed but that later becomes successful or much admiredTopics Successc2
    Word OriginFrom the title of a story by Hans Christian Andersen, in which a young swan thinks it is an ugly young duck until it grows up into a beautiful adult swan.
See ugly duckling in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: ugly duckling

Nearby words

brink
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Danger
C2
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