seen better days, have

Idioms  

1. Be worn out, have fallen into a state of decline, as in This chair has seen better days, or The family business has seen better days. This term was first used by Shakespeare to describe a decline of fortune (Timon of Athens, 4:2) but soon was broadened to describe aging or deterioration in both humans and objects.

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Example Sentences

But if your walls have seen better days, you actually can wash them, and it's easy to do.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2022

The church overlooks parts of northeast Wilmington that have seen better days.

From Washington Times • Jun. 17, 2019

Throughout the city, narrow streets, urban parks and restaurants that have seen better days give a sense of the time and place that the novel and the movie sought to convey.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2019

Ewing says the boats and the sails have seen better days, but replacing them would mean more fundraising for the small group or increasing fees for a group living on disability incomes.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2017

Mark hears the boat before he sees it, a coughing, choked sound of engines that have seen better days.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner