Synonyms

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.

It was a nervous-making trial by fire that began as a nail-biter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

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

It was kind of trial by fire as soon as I was born, in a way, on a human, cultural level.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2023

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