The word 严厉 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning that intensifies the overall concept. The first character, 严 (yán), fundamentally conveys strictness, tightness, or severity, often implying an unwavering standard. The second character, 厉 (lì), adds the dimension of harshness, sternness, or formidable rigor. When placed together, they do not create a new metaphorical image but rather reinforce and sharpen a single core idea: the quality of being stern and unyieldingly severe, where 严 establishes the disciplined framework and 厉 injects the potent force of its enforcement.