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

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

At the end, you looked one way and you saw two-goal Ayunga - "amazing, man" - and his driven mates and then looked the other and there was Wilfried Nancy, miserable in the midst of his baptism of fire.

From BBC

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

From BBC

Reddin's first major job was to appoint Tandy and it has been a baptism of fire in the first campaign for the new head coach.

From BBC

He was still relatively raw when he travelled to Russia to face Kovalev, a baptism of fire that became the defining early chapter of his career.

From BBC