The word **拖累** is formed through the combination of two characters, each contributing to its overall meaning: **拖** (tuō), which means "to drag," "to pull," or "to delay," and **累** (lèi), which means "to accumulate," "to involve," or "to be a burden." Together, they create a compound verb that metaphorically describes the action of pulling someone down or involving them in a troublesome situation, thus imposing a burden or hindrance. The formation follows a cause-and-effect logic common in Chinese, where the first character denotes the action ("dragging") and the second character denotes the resulting state ("being burdened" or "encumbered").