have known better days
To be or look particularly shabby, ill-kept, or in poor condition. Well, this car has known better days, but it's been reliable for me since the day I bought it 20 years ago. The poor guy who runs the building is a sweet fellow, but he has certainly known better days by the looks of him.
have seen better days
To be or look particularly shabby, ill-kept, or in poor condition. Wow, this car has seen better days. What'd you do, drive it through a minefield? The poor guy who runs the building has certainly seen better days, but he's a sweet fellow.
have seen better days
Euph. to be in bad condition. My old car has seen better days, but at least it's still running. She's seen better days, it's true, but she's still lots of fun.
have seen better days
If something has seen better days, it is old and in poor condition. The houses had seen better days and their crumbling plaster was now dirty grey and damp. There was an old brass double bed with a mattress that had seen better days.
have seen/known better ˈdays
be in a worse condition than in the past: That jacket of yours has seen better days — isn’t it time you bought a new one?