have seen better days

verb

To be in poor condition, to be worn out.

“Your sofa has certainly seen better days, isn't it time you got a new one?”

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Meanings

verbhave seen better days (third-person singular simple present has seen better days, present participle having seen better days, simple past and past participle had seen better days)

present singular third person has seen better days · participle present having seen better days · participle past had seen better days · past had seen better days

  1. euphemisticTo be in poor condition, to be worn out.

    Your sofa has certainly seen better days, isn't it time you got a new one?

Translations

Dutch betere tijden gekend hebben
  • betere tijden gekend hebbento be in poor condition
French avoir fait son temps
  • avoir fait son tempsto be in poor condition
German bessere Tage gesehen haben
  • bessere Tage gesehen habento be in poor condition
Hungarian jobb napokat is látott
  • jobb napokat is látottto be in poor condition
Icelandic muna fífil sinn fegri
  • muna fífil sinn fegrito be in poor condition
Norwegian Bokmål ha sett bedre dager
  • ha sett bedre dagerto be in poor condition
Russian вида́ть ви́ды
  • вида́ть ви́ды (vidátʹ vídy)to be in poor condition
Swedish ha sett sina bättre dagar
  • ha sett sina bättre dagarto be in poor condition
Cite this entry
APA

have seen better days. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20seen%20better%20days

MLA

“have seen better days.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20seen%20better%20days. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have seen better days,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20seen%20better%20days.

Source: have seen better days on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.