through the mill

English

Pronunciation

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Adjective

through the mill (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Through a period of bad treatment or an ordeal.
   • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part II, XVIii [Uniform ed., p. 192]:

     My father found me a nuisance, and put me through the mill, and I can never forget it particularly the evenings.

   • 1999, J. K. Rowling, chapter 4, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Bloomsbury:

     ‘He’s been through the mill, this one,’ she said.

   put through the mill

References

• “through the mill” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.
• “through the mill”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.