The word 诋毁 (dǐhuǐ), meaning "to vilify" or "to slander," is a complementary compound formed by combining two characters with similar meanings to intensify the overall concept. The first character, 诋 (dǐ), originally carried meanings related to slander, blame, or defamation, often involving speech. The second character, 毁 (huǐ), means to destroy, damage, or ruin. When combined, they create a synergistic term where 诋 specifies the means (verbal attack) and 毁 emphasizes the damaging intent and result (ruining someone's reputation), thus fully encapsulating the act of maliciously speaking against someone to harm their standing.