Meaning:

    “细思” means “to think it over,” and “恐极” is short for “恐怖之极,” which means “to feel horrible.” Coined by Chinese netizens in the form of a traditional four-character idiom, this term means “When you think it over, you will feel horrible.”

    Example:

    A: 晚报有什么新闻？

    Wǎnbào yǒu shénme xīnwén?

    What’s in the evening paper?

    B: 本市有个小学语文老师猥亵漂亮女生被判刑五年。

    Běnshì yǒu gè xiǎoxué yǔwén lǎoshī wěixiè piàoliang nǚshēng bèi pànxíng wǔnián。

    A man who taught Chinese in a local primary school was sentenced to five years in prison for carnal abuse towards pretty girl students.

    A: 什么学校？

    Shénme xuéxiào?

    Which school?

    B: 好像就是你们家附近的那所。

    Hǎoxiàng jìushì nǐmen jià fùjìn de nà suǒ。

    It seems to be the school near where you live.

    A: 细思恐极，我外甥女差点就去那所小学念书了，当时她父母想让她中午上我们家吃饭午休呢。

    Xìsī-kǒngjí, wǒ wàishēngnǚ chàdiǎn jìu qù nà suǒ xiǎoxué niànshū le, dāngshí tā fùmǔ xiǎng ràng tā zhōngwǔ shàng wǒmen jiā chīfàn wǔxīu ne。

    When you think it over, it is horrible. My niece nearly went to that school, as her parents had planned for her to eat lunch with us and take a siesta at my home.