Meanings
plural schools of hard knocks
- UScountableidiomaticThe source of an education consisting of real-world experiences, especially adverse experiences.First known use 1870
Did Vietnam's school of hard knocks teach Americans to do peacemaking and state building right?
2000 April 26, Walter A. McDougall, “Who Were We in Vietnam?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 27 May 2015, retrieved 03 Aug 20081 more example
Trained, however, in the school of hard knocks, he now had learned the theory of success, and from that time on has had it.
1870, The Men Who Advertise: An Account of Successful Advertisers, New York: Rowell, page 161Synonyms: university of hard knocks, university of life, university of the streets
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe source of an education consisting of real-world experiences, especially adverse experiences.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 人生學校 /人生学校
- 人生學校 /人生学校 (rénshēng xuéxiào)source of education by adverse experience
Finnish elämänkoulu, kantapään kautta oppiminen
- elämänkoulusource of education by adverse experience
- kantapään kautta oppiminensource of education by adverse experience
French école de vie, école de la vie
- école de viesource of education by adverse experience
- école de la viesource of education by adverse experience
German Schule des Lebens
- Schule des Lebenssource of education by adverse experience
Polish szkoła życia
- szkoła życiasource of education by adverse experience
Portuguese escola da vida
- escola da vidasource of education by adverse experience
Romanian școala vieții
- școala viețiisource of education by adverse experience
Russian шко́ла жи́зни
- шко́ла жи́зни (škóla žízni)source of education by adverse experience
Spanish gramática parda
- gramática pardasource of education by adverse experience
Swedish livets hårda skola
- livets hårda skolasource of education by adverse experience
Cite this entry
school of hard knocks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/school%20of%20hard%20knocks
“school of hard knocks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/school%20of%20hard%20knocks. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “school of hard knocks,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/school%20of%20hard%20knocks.
Source: school of hard knocks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.