noun
hell on earth; living hell
Describes an unbearable, tormenting situation or place, often used hyperbolically.
あの職場はまさに生き地獄だった。
That workplace was truly a living hell.
戦争で街は生き地獄と化した。
The war turned the city into hell on earth.
地獄 is a general term for hell, while 生き地獄 specifically emphasizes a hellish experience in the living world.
Compound of 生き (iki, 'living') and 地獄 (jigoku, 'hell').