The word "地步" is formed through a metaphorical extension from literal, physical space to an abstract, situational condition. It combines "地" (dì), meaning "ground" or "land", which represents a sphere or realm of existence, with "步" (bù), meaning "step" or "pace", which implies measured progression or degree. Together, they originally conjure the image of a physical position or distance one has reached on the ground. This concept is then abstracted to describe the extent, stage, or condition a situation or matter has developed into, or the particular difficult situation or plight one finds oneself in, effectively measuring the "ground covered" in a circumstance rather than on literal earth.