The Chinese idiom 坐以待毙 is formed by combining four characters: 坐 (to sit), 以 (in order to), 待 (to wait), and 毙 (to die). These characters are arranged sequentially where 坐 indicates a state of inaction, 以 links to the subsequent action 待, and 毙 specifies the result being awaited, resulting in a literal meaning of "sit and wait for death" that describes passive acceptance of a dire outcome.