The word 残酷 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of profound harshness. The first character, 残 (cán), carries the core idea of mutilation, damage, or a broken remnant, evoking a sense of physical ruin and incompleteness. It is paired with 酷 (kù), which embodies the idea of extreme severity, ruthless pressure, or mercilessness, akin to a crushing, unrelenting force. Together, they merge the imagery of physical brutality and destruction with the psychological and systemic quality of cold, pitiless severity, creating a compound concept that signifies a deeply inhuman and savage cruelty.