The word 终极 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to create a single, intensified concept. 终 (zhōng) means "end", "conclusion", or "final", establishing the idea of a terminus or finishing point. 极 (jí) means "extreme", "utmost", or "pole", conveying the sense of the highest degree or farthest limit. When joined, 终 provides the foundational notion of an ending, and 极 intensifies it to mean not just any end, but the "ultimate end", the "final extreme", or the "absolute conclusion", merging to express the farthest possible point or the most fundamental and final state of something.