The word 失败 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a related meaning to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 失 (shī), carries the core idea of "losing" or "missing". The second character, 败 (bài), means "to be defeated" or "to ruin". When placed together, they do not create a narrative sequence but rather blend their meanings into a single, intensified notion of a failed endeavor, literally, the experience of loss and defeat. It is a conceptual fusion where the two parts reinforce each other to express the comprehensive state of failure.