trial by fire
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Related to trial by fire: Baptism by fire
trial by fire
A situation in which one is placed under extreme pressure or stress and expected as a means of testing one's ability to learn or perform. I was thrown right in the middle of a huge project as soon as I was hired, so it was a bit of a trial by fire. The master's program is something of a trial by fire compared to the relatively lax structure of my bachelor's degree.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
trial by fire
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
trial by fire
A test of one's abilities, especially the ability to perform well under pressure.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.