The word 卑鄙 is formed by combining two characters, 卑 and 鄙, which both independently convey notions of lowliness and despicability. 卑 originally suggests something inferior, low in status, or base, while 鄙 carries connotations of vulgar, mean, or contemptible. When fused into a single term, their meanings do not merely add together but intensify and synthesize to create a powerful, unified concept of utter moral debasement, characterizing actions or people as not just lowly, but as contemptibly underhanded, vile, and without honor. This formation is a classic example of semantic compounding in Chinese, where two synonyms or near-synonyms merge to create a single, more potent and nuanced idea.