The Chinese word 严酷 (yánkù) is a compound formed by combining two semantically similar characters to create an intensified meaning. The first character, 严 (yán), carries connotations of strictness, severity, and sternness. The second character, 酷 (kù), denotes harshness, cruelty, and extreme intensity. When paired together, they form an adjective that describes conditions, environments, or treatment that are not merely severe but harsh to a punishing or ruthless degree, such as a "严酷的考验" (a severe ordeal) or "严酷的现实" (a harsh reality). This formation follows the common Chinese morphological pattern of coordinating two near-synonyms to reinforce and specify a shared semantic field.