Meaning & use
going through it
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Experiencing a difficult or painful period in your life, often emotionally.
Grammar: Used after the verb 'be' to describe someone's current state, as in 'She's going through it.'
Patterns
- be going through it
- really going through it
After losing his job and breaking up with his girlfriend, he's really going through it right now.
She's been going through it since her mother passed away, so be gentle with her.
I'm going through it at the moment — work is stressful and I'm not sleeping well.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Dealing with a challenging situation or task, often one that is unpleasant or demanding.
Grammar: Often followed by 'with' to specify the difficult thing: 'going through it with exams'.
Patterns
- going through it with something
- be going through it
The whole team is going through it with this new project deadline.
He's going through it with his thesis — he's been working on it for months.
Common combinations
- really going through it
- She's really going through it after her divorce.
- going through it right now
- I can't talk — I'm going through it right now.
- be going through it
- He's been going through it since the accident.
- going through it with something
- They're going through it with their teenage son.
Synonyms and how they differ
- struggling
- More general and can refer to any kind of difficulty, not just emotional; 'going through it' often implies emotional distress.
- having a hard time
- Similar in meaning but slightly less informal and can be used in more formal contexts.
Commonly confused: going through it or going through something?
going through it vs going through something
This is a more general phrase meaning dealing with an experience, not necessarily difficult; 'going through it' specifically suggests a tough time.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'going through it' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Going through it' is a fixed phrase meaning experiencing a hard time, so it fits after 'are' with no object. The other options try to use 'through it' as a literal direction, which is not the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “going through it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.