The word "懦弱" is formed by combining two characters that each convey aspects of weakness. The character "懦" means cowardly or timid, constructed from the radical "忄" (heart) and the phonetic component "需", suggesting a mental disposition toward fear. The character "弱" means weak or feeble, derived from a pictographic representation of fragile bows. Together, they form a compound word where both elements reinforce the meaning of cowardice or lack of strength.