The compound word 挥霍 (huīhuò, meaning "to squander" or "to spend extravagantly") is formed through the combination of two semantically similar characters that create a vivid metaphorical image. The first character, 挥 (huī), means "to wave," "to wield," or "to scatter," suggesting a broad, uncontrolled motion. The second, 霍 (huò), originally depicted the sound of rain falling quickly and heavily, evoking a sense of something being poured out rapidly and without restraint. When combined, they form a coordinative compound (并列结构) where both elements contribute to the overall concept of dispersing resources recklessly and swiftly, as if waving them away or pouring them out like a sudden downpour, thus perfectly capturing the essence of wasteful expenditure.