The word "强调" is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: "强", which carries the core meaning of strength, force, or intensity, and "调", which fundamentally refers to a tone, tune, or the act of adjusting or blending. Their fusion creates a new, compound idea where the notion of "strength" is applied to the domain of "tone" or "expression", metaphorically yielding the meaning of making a point forcefully or giving special importance to something, thus, to emphasize or stress.