The Chinese word 缓慢 (huǎnmàn, meaning "slow" or "sluggish") is a classic example of a synonymous compound, formed by combining two independent characters with nearly identical meanings to reinforce and nuance the overall concept. The first character, 缓 (huǎn), itself means "slow", "gradual", or "to delay", while the second, 慢 (màn), means "slow", "leisurely", or "to neglect". By pairing these two synonyms, the compound creates a more vivid, emphatic, and often slightly more formal or literary expression of slowness than either character might convey alone, emphasizing a drawn-out, unhurried, or tardy quality.