The word "捶胸顿足" is formed by the juxtaposition of two verb-object phrases: "捶胸" (beat the chest) and "顿足" (stamp the feet). The characters directly denote these actions and body parts, "捶" means to beat, "胸" means chest, "顿" means to stamp, and "足" means foot, combining to create a literal depiction of physical agitation.