十八层地狱 - Chinese Idiom

十八层地狱

Literally means:

the eighteenth hell; the lowest story of the 18-storey hell

Actually means:

地狱 refers to the hell where, according to Buddhism and Christianity, a person's soul is tortured after death. In ancient China, people believed that God of death would investigate the dead and find out what they have done. If someone had conducted anything evil,he would be sentenced to various punishments in different places of the 18-storey hell.

This phrase metaphorically refers to a place in which people suffer, or a place that is frightening. Derogatory.

地狱，佛教、基督教等指人死后灵魂受苦的地方。中国古代传说，做了坏事的人，尤其是做了很多大坏事的人，死后阎王就要对他审判，根据罪行判他到地下十八层地狱中的不同地方接受永远的惩罚，不得翻身。

十八层地狱，比喻令人遭受痛苦折磨的地方，或阴森可怖的地方。具有贬义色彩。