The idiom 沾花惹草 is formed by combining two verb-object phrases: 沾花 (touch flowers) and 惹草 (provoke grass). Literally, 沾 means "to touch" or "involve with", 花 means "flowers", 惹 means "to provoke" or "attract", and 草 means "grass". Metaphorically, 花 and 草 symbolize women or romantic interests, so the phrase collectively depicts engaging with multiple women, implying flirtatious or unfaithful behavior.