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There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems.
Maeve Binchy

Meaning of "ugly duckling" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD UGLY DUCKLING

An allusion to The Ugly Duckling, a story by Hans Christian Andersen.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF UGLY DUCKLING

ugly duckling play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF UGLY DUCKLING

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Ugly duckling is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES UGLY DUCKLING MEAN IN ENGLISH?

ugly duckling

The Ugly Duckling

"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from the others around him until, much to his delight, he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better. “The Ugly Duckling” was first published 11 November 1843 with three other tales by Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark to great critical acclaim. The tale has been adapted to various media including opera, musical, and animated film. The tale is completely Andersen's invention and owes no debt to fairy tales or folklore.

Definition of ugly duckling in the English dictionary

The definition of ugly duckling in the dictionary is a person or thing, initially ugly or unpromising, that changes into something beautiful or admirable.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE UGLY DUCKLING

ugh
UGLI
UGLI fruit
uglier
UGLIES
ugliest
uglification
uglified
uglifier
uglifies
uglify
uglily
ugliness
UGLIS
ugly
Ugly American
Ugrian
Ugric
ugsome
ugsomeness

WORDS THAT END LIKE UGLY DUCKLING

buckling
calling
chickling
crackling
darkling
duckling
heckling
inkling
jackling
rib-tickling
rockling
sparkling
sprinkling
stickling
suckling
swashbuckling
tickling
tinkling
trickling
twinkling
weakling

Synonyms and antonyms of ugly duckling in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «ugly duckling» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF UGLY DUCKLING

Find out the translation of ugly duckling to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of ugly duckling from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «ugly duckling» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

丑小鸭
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

patito feo
570 millions of speakers

English

ugly duckling
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

बदसूरत बत्तख़ का बच्चा
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

القبيحة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Гадкий утенок
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

patinho feio
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

কুশলী হাঁস
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

vilain petit canard
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Itik hodoh
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

hässliches Entlein
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

醜いアヒルの子
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

미운 오리 새끼
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Bebek nyedhak
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

vịt con xấu xí
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

அசிங்கமான டக்லிங்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

बदकाचे कुरूप पिल्लू
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

çirkin ördek yavrusu
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

brutto anatroccolo
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

brzydkie kaczątko
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Гидке каченя
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

rățușca cea urâtă
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ασχημόπαπο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

lelike eendjie
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

fula ankungen
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

stygge andungen
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of ugly duckling

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «UGLY DUCKLING»

The term «ugly duckling» is regularly used and occupies the 56.649 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
74
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «ugly duckling» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of ugly duckling
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «ugly duckling».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «UGLY DUCKLING» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «ugly duckling» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «ugly duckling» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about ugly duckling

EXAMPLES

5 QUOTES WITH «UGLY DUCKLING»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word ugly duckling.
1
Maeve Binchy
There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems.
2
Baz Luhrmann
The ugly duckling is a misunderstood universal myth. It's not about turning into a blonde Barbie doll or becoming what you dream of being; it's about self-revelation, becoming who you are.
3
Lindsay Pearce
I always believed I was an ugly duckling in a family of swans, you know? I was such a black sheep, and it was the same way in high school... I was just kind of that awkward theater kid with a bunch of athletes... it was very 'Glee.'
4
Tanya Roberts
I was the ugly duckling until I reached puberty.
5
Nicollette Sheridan
I grew up feeling like the ugly duckling, and things have not changed that much.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «UGLY DUCKLING»

Discover the use of ugly duckling in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to ugly duckling and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Ugly Duckling: The Graphic Novel
Re-tells in graphic-novel format the story of an ugly duckling that spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals in the barnyard before he grows into a beautiful swan.
Hans Christian Andersen, 2009
2
Ugly Duckling Goes to Work
And now, the powerful lessons of these classic folk tales have been ingeniously applied to the complexities of the modern workplace.
Mette Norgaard, 2009
3
Diary of an Ugly Duckling
What makes an otherwise sane woman appear on a reality TV show?
Karyn Langhorne, 2009
4
The Ugly Duckling
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Johansen, Iris. The ugly duckling / Iris Johansen. p. cm. ISBN 0-7838-1708-8 (lg. print : he) 1. Large type books. I. Title. PS3560.O275U36 1996b 813'.54— dc20 96-5478 Th Ugly Duckling ...
Iris Johansen, 1996
5
The Ugly Duckling
Comedy A. A. Milne Characters: 4 male, 3 female Arrangements have been made for Prince Simon to marry Princess Camilla.
Alan Alexander Milne, 1941
6
The Ugly Duckling
An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.
Hans Christian Andersen, 2005
7
The ugly duckling
An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.
Harriet Ziefert, Hans Christian Andersen, 1997
8
The Ugly Duckling
An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.
‎1999
9
Presenting Tanya, the Ugly Duckling
When she has trouble mastering her dance steps in the part of the Ugly Duckling for the spring ballet recital, Tanya is discouraged and fears that she has much in common with the character.
Patricia Lee Gauch, 1999
10
The ugly duckling
Comedy A. A. Milne Characters: 4 male, 3 female Arrangements have been made for Prince Simon to marry Princess Camilla.
Rene Cloke, 1991

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «UGLY DUCKLING»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term ugly duckling is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Ducklings to take flight on stage for Honk! production
THE endearing tale of the ugly duckling will be brought to life by the Toowoomba ... Sophie McHardy plays one of the lead roles as the ducklings' mother, Ida. «Toowoomba Chronicle, Jul 15»
2
The new Nissan Juke R 2.0: 5 reasons why the Juke isn't the ugly
The new Nissan Juke R 2.0: 5 reasons why the Juke isn't the ugly duckling anymore. By Chris Wilton on 7 July, 2015. If you have seen the Juke on your roads, ... «Memeburn, Jul 15»
3
WWE News: Natalya Says She's The 'Ugly Duckling' Of Diva's …
“I've always sort of been the ugly duckling. I don't mean that in a malicious or negative way – I've just never been the pick. I've never been the chosen one or ... «The Inquisitr, Jun 15»
4
Don't miss The Ugly Duckling at the Palladium this weekend
StoryBook Theater will perform a family-friendly version of The Ugly Duckling Saturday, May 16th at Hale's Ales Palladium with two shows at 3pm and 5pm. «Fremont Universe, May 15»
5
Former 'ugly duckling' Isabel Marant gets her revenge through fashion
"I had a kind of revenge to take, and that came out through garments," dishes acclaimed designer Isabel Marant. Photo: Patrick McMullan (center); Courtesy of ... «New York Post, Apr 15»
6
15 Hot Celebrities Who Grew Up As The Ugly Duckling
The world of celebrities is one that seems filled to the brim with beautiful people. The glamorous outfits and perfect hairstyles that are presented to the public give ... «LOLWOT, Apr 15»
7
Hollywood re-brands ugly duckling tale with teen movie The Duff
It seems rather disingenuous for Hollywood – an industry that reveres glamour, designer couture and age-defying beauty – to peddle wish fulfilment fantasies to ... «Frome Standard, Apr 15»
8
'The Ugly Duckling' with a twist to be performed Thursday
The “Ugly Duckling,” is the story of a homely little bird born in a barnyard. She struggles to fit in with her siblings, so she sets out to discover her true identity and ... «Daily Ardmoreite, Apr 15»
9
Ugly duckling rooming house draws over-asking bid
The Action: This detached house was an anomaly in one of the city's most historic neighbourhoods, so a couple hundred buyers – all looking to rebuild and ... «The Globe and Mail, Dec 14»
10
Ugly Duckling heading to REDHOUSE Old Town Hall in Merthyr Tydfil
A new production of The Ugly Duckling will be coming to REDHOUSE Old Town Hall in Merthyr Tydfil later this month. The show is heading from the Sherman ... «WalesOnline, Nov 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Ugly duckling [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/ugly-duckling>. May 2024 ».
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