been through the mill

USAGE SUMMARY

"been through the mill" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who has experienced a difficult or challenging situation. Example: After losing her job and going through a tough breakup, she felt like she had really been through the mill. Alternative expressions include "gone through a lot" and "faced tough times."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Reference

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

She's been through the mill.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

He has been through the mill.

The New Yorker

"Well, I've been through the mill, believe me.

The New York Times - Sports

The German economy has been through the mill.

The New York Times

Bolton have been through the mill and back.

The Guardian - Sport

To Wimbledon Batsford brought "a group of players who," he said, "had been through the mill.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

6 human-written examples

'Someone who's not been through the nationalist mill wouldn't have a lot of respect among nationalists,' he argues.

The Guardian

He's been through the regulatory mill in trying to get justice for what he sees as his pension mis-selling, but has been stonewalled at every turn.

Independent

Mr. Wouk said last week, "I've sort of been through the movie mill, you might say," noting that his house was once owned by Natalie Wood, who starred in the 1958 movie version of "Marjorie Morningstar".

The New York Times - Books

A more diverse court would be more representative of Britain's population, but Neuberger said he was uncertain whether it would radically alter the decisions the court reaches because "they will all have been through the legal mill", he said.

The Guardian

For people who've been through the cancer mill this ought to be an inspirational moment.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

The phrase works well when describing both people and physical objects that look worn but functional, adding a touch of vivid imagery to your description.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase when the focus is entirely on the person inflicting the hardship. While someone can be 'put through the mill', the expression "been through the mill" emphasizes the subject's journey and resulting state of endurance rather than the external agent of the stress.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "been through the mill" functions as an idiomatic adjectival or verbal complement, typically following the auxiliary verb "have" in the present perfect tense. According to Ludwig AI, it serves to attribute a history of struggle or intensive use to a subject. Grammatically, it consists of a past participle followed by a prepositional phrase that uses the industrial metaphor of a mill to signify processing or grinding down.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Professional Sports Analysis

15%

Social Commentary

10%

Less common in

Scientific Reports

3%

Legal Documents

2%

Technical Manuals

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "been through the mill" is a robust and widely accepted idiom that effectively communicates the experience of enduring significant hardship or intensive use. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a high-frequency expression in quality journalism, where it is used to describe everything from exhausted athletes to struggling economies. It provides a more colorful alternative to literal phrases like "faced difficulties" without losing professional credibility. Whether you are describing a person who has survived a personal crisis or a car that has traveled across a continent, this phrase conveys a sense of survival and earned experience that resonates with readers across all contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

gone through the wringer

shares the industrial metaphor and implies a similarly intense, stressful experience

been through the wars

suggests a sense of visible wear and tear or battle-hardened resilience

gone through a lot

is a common and versatile literal alternative used in everyday speech

weathered the storm

emphasizes the survival of a specific difficult period or crisis

had a rough time

is a more literal and informal way to describe experiencing difficulties

faced many trials

adopts a more formal or even biblical tone for describing challenges

suffered many hardships

is a formal and direct description of the same underlying concept

been to hell and back

is a much more hyperbolic and emotional way to describe extreme suffering

seen better days

often refers to physical objects or people appearing worn out rather than just the experience itself

borne the brunt of it

specifically indicates that the subject received the worst part of a negative situation

FAQs

How to use "been through the mill" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe anyone or anything that has faced significant hardship, such as: "The local economy has really "been through the mill" lately but is finally showing signs of recovery".

What can I say instead of "been through the mill"?

Depending on your context, you might use alternatives like "gone through the wringer", "been through a lot" or "weathered the storm".

What is the difference between "been through the mill" and "gone through the wringer"?

Both are industrial metaphors for hardship, but "gone through the wringer" often emphasizes the pressure and stress of a situation, whereas "been through the mill" focuses more on the general wear and tear or the long duration of the difficulties.

Is "been through the mill" considered professional?

Yes, as shown in Ludwig examples, it is frequently used in professional journalism like The New York Times and The Guardian. It is a neutral-register idiom that is appropriate for most business and news contexts.