The idiom **坐以待毙** (zuò yǐ dài bì) is a classical, four-character compound formed through a logical grammatical structure: the verb **坐** (zuò, "to sit") acts as the manner of action, followed by the particle **以** (yǐ, "in order to") which indicates purpose, and the verb phrase **待毙** (dài bì, "to await death/destruction"). Literally, it means "to sit *in order to* await death," constructing a vivid metaphor for passively accepting a disastrous outcome without taking any action to prevent it. This formation reflects a common pattern in Classical Chinese where **以** links an action with its intended (or, in this case, disastrous) consequence, resulting in a proverbial warning against fatalistic passivity.