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

His tone was that of a man who had been through the mill.

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2024

“We’ve got some very loyal supporters and they have gone through the mill of late, in the last 10, 20 years since we’ve come out the Football League,” Penn said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2022

A million pounds of feed pass through the mill each day.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan