The word "妒贤嫉能" is formed by combining two parallel verb-object constructions: "妒贤" (to envy the virtuous) and "嫉能" (to envy the capable). The characters "妒" and "嫉" both convey jealousy, while "贤" refers to moral excellence and "能" to competence, resulting in a compound term that denotes resentment toward those with superior merit or ability.