trial by fire

Definitions

1. A test in which a person is exposed to flames in order to assess their truthfulness, commitment, courage etc.
2. A situation in which a soldier or other combatant faces the discharge of opposing weapons, as a test of their fortitude.
3. Any ordeal which tests one's strength, endurance or resolve.
   broadly, idiomatic

Equivalents

9 more languages

বাংলাঅগ্নিপরীক্ষা

Suomitulikoe

हिन्दीअग्निपरीक्षा

Latinaarsura

മലയാളംഅഗ്നിപരീക്ഷ

Nederlandsvuurdoopvuurproef

Polskipróba ognia

Portuguêsprova de fogo

Svenskaeldprov

Examples

““[I]t seems to me Fra Francesco is the greater hero, for he offers to enter⟳ the fire for the truth, though he is sure the fire will burn him.” . . . “It is true, Messer Segretario,” said the shopkeeper, with subdued impatience. “But will you favour us by interpreting the Latin?” “Assuredly,” said Tito. “It does but express⟳ the conclusions or doctrines which the Frate specially teaches, and which the trial by fire is to prove⟳ true or false.””

“And he pointed with his little assegai, the assegai handled with the royal wood, to where the fire glowed reddest—ay, he pointed and laughed. Then, my father, I grew cold indeed—yes, I grew cold who soon should be hot, for I saw⟳ the purpose of Chaka. He would put⟳ me to the trial by fire.”

“[T]he final test⟳, the trial by fire, which took place⟳ in a subterranean chamber of the great temple, resulted in a candidate whose courage failed him being precipitated into that lake of flame which I have⟳ already described.”

“French troops, submitting to a trial by fire, drew toward the German forts, capturing and holding some machine-gun nests.”

“Pork Chop Hill. Director Lewis Milestone . . . has produced a nerve-shattering study⟳ of how the American infantryman met his trial by fire in Korea.”

“But take⟳ it all in all, the overland trail was a trial by fire. One gets a notion of its deadliness from the fact that over five thousand people died of cholera alone.”

“Now, residents' legendary 100+-hour workweek may be on its way out. . . . Some doctors insist the long hours are a necessary trial by fire that produces highly skilled, virtually unflappable physicians.”

CEFR level