ugly duckling /ˈˌəɡlē ˈdəkliNG, ˈˌəɡli ˈdəklɪŋ 
/ ▸ noun a person, especially a child, who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all expectations.
– ORIGIN from the title of one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, in which the ‘ugly duckling’ becomes a swan.
EnglishOxford New American Dictionary
