The Chinese word **阻挠** (zǔnáo, meaning "to obstruct" or "to thwart") is a typical **synonym compound**, formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings to create a single, reinforced concept. The first character, **阻** (zǔ), itself means "to hinder," "to block," or "to obstruct," often referring to a physical or concrete barrier. The second character, **挠** (náo), carries the meanings of "to scratch," "to bend," or, in an abstract sense, "to interfere with" or "to cause disorder." When paired, their semantic fields overlap and intensify, shifting from the literal (blocking and bending) to a unified, figurative meaning of actively and willfully impeding progress or preventing something from happening smoothly. Thus, the formation is not phonetic but purely **morphological and semantic**, where the whole word's meaning is the sum and synergy of its two constituent parts.