The word 摧毁 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of destructive imagery to create a single, intensified concept. The first character, 摧 (cuī), carries the core meaning of to break or to smash, often implying a forceful, crushing action. The second, 毁 (huǐ), means to destroy or to ruin, conveying the idea of bringing something to a state of total damage or uselessness. Together, they merge sequentially and conceptually: 摧 provides the action of forceful breaking apart, and 毁 delivers the resulting state of complete ruin, forming a compound that vividly depicts the process of systematic and utter destruction.