The word 惊慌 is formed through a conceptual combination where the first character, 惊 (jīng), meaning "to startle" or "alarm", directly triggers and amplifies the state described by the second character, 慌 (huāng), meaning "flustered" or "panicked". It is not merely two similar ideas placed side-by-side, but rather depicts a cause-and-effect sequence: the initial shock or surprise (惊) rapidly escalates into a state of disarray and loss of calm (慌), culminating in the single, integrated concept of "panic" or "terror". This fusion creates a vivid, compound image of an emotional cascade.