school of hard knocks
noun
the experience gained from living, especially from disappointment and hard work, regarded as a means of education: The only school he ever attended was the school of hard knocks.
Origin of school of hard knocks
An Americanism dating back to 1910–15
Words nearby school of hard knocks
school figure,
school for scandal, the,
school milk,
school night,
school of arts,
school of hard knocks,
school of law,
school of mind,
school of the soldier,
school of the squad,
school phobia
Idioms and Phrases with school of hard knocks
school of hard knocks
The practical experience of life, including hardship and disappointments. For example, A self-made man, he never went to college but came up through the school of hard knocks. This idiom uses knock, “a blow,” as a metaphor for a setback. [Mid-1800s]