The word 严肃 is formed by combining two characters, 严 and 肃, which each contribute a layer of meaning to create a unified concept. 严 carries the sense of sternness, strictness, or tight rigor, like an unbending standard. 肃 contributes the sense of solemnity, reverence, and dignified stillness, as in a solemn ceremony. When paired, they do not simply add together but fuse into a single idea: a composed and weighty seriousness that is both stern in principle and solemn in demeanor, describing an atmosphere or attitude that is grave, earnest, and formally austere.