The word 耍赖 is formed by combining the character 耍, which means to play or engage in an action, often with a manipulative connotation, and the character 赖, which means to rely on but here denotes denying responsibility or acting dishonestly. Together, they create a compound word where 耍 implies the act of performing and 赖 specifies the deceitful or unreasonable nature of that act, resulting in the meaning of behaving in a dishonest or obstinate manner, such as reneging on agreements or refusing to admit fault.