ugly duckling
noun
: one that appears very unpromising but often has great potential
Example Sentences
The house is an ugly duckling, but it has a lot of potential.
Recent Examples on the Web Now, like the ugly duckling that became a swan, the nearly $2 trillion crypto market—with all of its warts—seems to be undergoing a glow-up in the eyes of some of the world's most powerful financial institutions. 
Declan Harty, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2022 The soaring demand for warehouses, once the ugly duckling of the real estate industry, underscores their pivotal role in a complex global supply chain. New York Times, 16 Mar. 2022 The medium itself has long been the ugly duckling of American culture, a stealth art form whose secret, swanlike identity (more bird than plane) has been accorded widespread acclaim only in the past few decades. Michael Saler, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2021 So now, single and dateless, Padgett accepts a challenge to transform the school’s resident ugly duckling into an enviable hunk. Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2021 The swimming pool, spa, contemporary decor (including custom furniture, signature joinery, and bespoke details like fixtures and lighting), and generous interior space turned the ugly duckling into a swan. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 28 July 2021 After decades of being treated as the proverbial ugly duckling of the skin-care world, sunscreen seems to be finally getting its due appreciation and attention. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 June 2021 An Australian ballroom dancer makes an ugly duckling his partner and dares in competition to go flamenco. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2021 An Australian ballroom dancer makes an ugly duckling his partner and dares in competition to go flamenco. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2021 See More
Declan Harty, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2022 The soaring demand for warehouses, once the ugly duckling of the real estate industry, underscores their pivotal role in a complex global supply chain. New York Times, 16 Mar. 2022 The medium itself has long been the ugly duckling of American culture, a stealth art form whose secret, swanlike identity (more bird than plane) has been accorded widespread acclaim only in the past few decades. Michael Saler, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2021 So now, single and dateless, Padgett accepts a challenge to transform the school’s resident ugly duckling into an enviable hunk. Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2021 The swimming pool, spa, contemporary decor (including custom furniture, signature joinery, and bespoke details like fixtures and lighting), and generous interior space turned the ugly duckling into a swan. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 28 July 2021 After decades of being treated as the proverbial ugly duckling of the skin-care world, sunscreen seems to be finally getting its due appreciation and attention. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 June 2021 An Australian ballroom dancer makes an ugly duckling his partner and dares in competition to go flamenco. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2021 An Australian ballroom dancer makes an ugly duckling his partner and dares in competition to go flamenco. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
The Ugly Duckling, story by Hans Christian Andersen
First Known Use
1869, in the meaning defined above