The word 痛恨 is formed by combining two characters that each convey intense, visceral feelings: 痛 (tòng), meaning "pain" or "ache", and 恨 (hèn), meaning "hatred" or "resentment". Their union is not merely additive but deeply synergistic, where the physical sensation of 痛 gives a raw, aching quality to the emotional state of 恨, transforming abstract resentment into something felt in the body, a hatred that is acutely painful, heartfelt, and profoundly bitter. This fusion creates a single concept of hatred that is felt as a suffering, making the emotion more total and severe than either character alone could express.