The Chinese word 对峙 (duìzhì) is a compound formed by combining two characters, each contributing to its overall meaning of a tense standoff. The first character, 对 (duì), carries the core idea of "facing" or "being opposite to," establishing a sense of mutual opposition. The second character, 峙 (zhì), means "to stand erect" or "to tower," contributing the notion of a firm, upright, and unyielding posture. When combined, they create a vivid conceptual image of two opposing sides standing tall and facing each other in a stalemate, perfectly capturing the meaning of a confrontation, standoff, or对峙 where neither party backs down.