Wiktionary
n. A young person who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful as they mature.
WordNet
n. an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person
Wikipedia
Ugly Duckling is an American hip hop group that formed around 1993 in Long Beach, California. Ugly Duckling's members include Dizzy Dustin (Dustin McFarland), Young Einstein (Rodney Pleasant Jr.) and Andy Cooper. The band decided to take the name Ugly Duckling because they felt like outcasts on the Southern California hip hop scene of the mid-1990s. According to the book How to Rap: the Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, it is one of the most prominent underground hip hop groups.
Ugly Duckling is the name of the show produced by the East West Theatre Company from Sarajevo in 2009. The play was based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Ugly Duckling and references ubiquitous problem of non-acceptance of those who are “different” during the most vulnerable period in their development, that is, during the childhood. The show is aimed at children aged four to nine years and is directed by a director Elma Islamovic. The original cast involves the following actors: Maja Zećo, Emir Fejzić, Sanela Krsmanović, Amila Terzimehić, Adi Hrustemović, Enes Salković and a producer Nermin Hamzagić.
Usage examples of "ugly duckling".
Gerda reacted strangely, like a mother given an ugly duckling to rear.
He knew she still disliked parties, still thought of herself as the ugly duckling, but she never let it show.
And, again like Papa, she had a special fondness for Anna, the Ugly Duckling among her brother's five children.