baptism of fire

American  

noun

1. spiritual sanctification as a gift of the Holy Ghost.

2. the first time a soldier faces battle.

3. any severe ordeal that tests one's endurance.

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baptism of fire British  

noun

1. a soldier's first experience of battle

2. any initiating ordeal or experience

3. Christianity the penetration of the Holy Ghost into the human spirit to purify, consecrate, and strengthen it, as was believed to have occurred initially at Pentecost

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baptism of fire Idioms  

1. A severe ordeal or test, especially an initial one, as in This audition would be Robert's baptism of fire. This term transfers the original religious rite of baptism, whereby holiness is imparted, to various kinds of ordeal. At first it signified the death of martyrs at the stake, and in 19th-century France it was used for a soldier's first experience of combat. Currently it is used more loosely for any difficult first encounter.

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Etymology

Origin of baptism of fire

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Balfe: It was a bit of a baptism of fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Former midfielder Carrick was installed as boss until the end of the season this week and faces a baptism of fire when Manchester City visit on Saturday.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

For any new manager coming in, it's a colossal baptism of fire to try and navigate your way through.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

"We kicked ourselves out, dusted ourselves off and went back to the top and off we went again. It was an absolute baptism of fire."

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2024

Her Diary is a faithful record of impressions of that stormy time in which the nation underwent a baptism of fire.

From Village Life in America 1852-1872 Including the period of the American Civil War as told in the diary of a school-girl by Richards, Caroline Cowles