The word **缠绵** is formed through the morphological process of **compounding**, where two semantically related characters are combined to create a new, metaphorical meaning. The first character, **缠 (chán)**, carries the core meaning of "to entangle," "to wind around," or "to pester," implying a state of being bound or intertwined. The second character, **绵 (mián)**, means "soft," "continuous," or "floss silk," evoking a sense of gentleness, durability, and unbroken extension. When fused, the literal image of "softly entangled" or "continuously winding" silk transforms into an abstract concept describing feelings or situations that are **deeply engrossing, lingering, and emotionally intertwined**, such as lingering affection, prolonged illness, or melancholy sentiment that is difficult to disentangle or let go of.