The Chinese word **止步** (zhǐbù) is a compound verb formed by combining two meaningful characters: **止** (zhǐ), which means "to stop" or "to halt," and **步** (bù), which means "step" or "to walk." Together, they create a metaphorical meaning that extends beyond the literal sum of its parts; it directly means "to stop walking," but is most commonly used figuratively to indicate "to stop progressing," "to halt at a certain point or limit," or "to not proceed further," often in contexts like competitions, qualifications, or intellectual inquiry where a boundary is reached.