ugly duckling

IPA/ˌʌɡli ˈdʌklɪŋ/
IPA/ˌʌɡli ˈdʌklɪŋ/

ugly duckling — noun

1. someone or something first dismissed as awkward or unimpressive but later seen a

1.名詞B2
釋義

someone or something first dismissed as awkward or unimpressive but later seen as striking or highly successful

例句

At school, Jabari felt like an ugly duckling beside his confident older cousins.

feel like an ugly duckling

The small gray hotel was once the ugly duckling of the beach road.

the ugly duckling of + place

同義詞
  • late bloomer

    usually used for a person who develops skill, beauty, or confidence later than others

  • sleeper hit

    mainly for a film, song, book, or product that becomes popular unexpectedly

  • underdog

    focuses on being expected to lose, not on later becoming admired

文法句型

an ugly duckling

the ugly duckling of + group/place

feel like an ugly duckling

用法筆記

Often used after "be", "become", "call", or "feel like". Distinguish from "underdog": an ugly duckling starts out plain or overlooked and is later admired, not merely expected to lose.

常見錯誤

❌Our team was the ugly duckling because everyone expected us to lose.
✅Our team was the underdog because everyone expected us to lose.
💡'ugly duckling' stresses later change from plain or overlooked to admired, not simply being the weaker side.