The word 死心塌地 is formed by the conjunction of two parallel compounds: 死心, meaning "to have a dead heart" or "to cease all hesitation", and 塌地, meaning "the ground is firm" or "settled". The combination merges the idea of abandoned doubt from 死心 with the notion of unshakable stability from 塌地, resulting in a figurative meaning of unwavering dedication or resolute commitment.