through the mill

Idioms  

1. Hardship or rough treatment, as in They put him through the mill, making him work at every one of the machines, or Jane was exhausted; she felt she'd been through the mill. This term alludes to being ground down like grain in a mill. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

You are both relatively young and, while you’ve been through the mill with your health, your wife likely wants to work a few more years for reasons that go beyond mere finances.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 24, 2025

"I've been through the mill to even get on the plane," says Knight.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

“I hope the finding brings some comfort to them because they’ve all been through the mill and back,” she added.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2023

In October 2020, Pickford had been through the mill.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2021

“I’ve been through the mill, now, too,” he said.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith