The Chinese word **毒害** is a compound term formed by combining two individual characters, each contributing to its overall meaning. The first character, **毒 (dú)**, means "poison" or "toxin," while the second character, **害 (hài)**, means "to harm" or "damage." In Chinese morphology, this is typically analyzed as a **verb-object (V-O) or causative structure**, where "毒" acts as the means or agent, and "害" is the result or action; thus, the compound literally means "to harm with poison" or "to poison." Over time, its meaning has extended beyond the literal physical poisoning to include metaphorical harm, such as corrupting someone's mind or morals, making it a versatile term used for both tangible and abstract forms of ruinous influence.