trial by fire

Idioms

A test of one's abilities to perform well under pressure, as in Finishing this buge list of chores in time for the wedding is really a trial by fire. This expression alludes to the medieval practice of determining a person's guilt by having them undergo an ordeal, such as walking barefoot through a fire.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a diplomatic trial by fire she hosted President Trump in Tokyo only days later, widely seen in Japan as a huge success.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

"I have no business education. It's all been trial by fire and learning as we go," says Skuse.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

Joe Alt’s trial by fire in the NFL continues with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2024

Harvick noted as much as he signed off from the Clash, where he and former teammate Bowyer bantered throughout Harvick’s second trial by fire.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024

Yet he suspected this was just the beginning of a much larger trial by fire.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023