The word 死磕 is formed by combining the character 死, meaning "death", used here as an intensifier to convey "relentlessly" or "to the extreme", with the character 磕, meaning "to knock" or "to bump", which in this context metaphorically signifies stubbornly engaging or persisting against a challenge. Together, they create a compound term that denotes obstinate perseverance or tenacious struggle.