The word 消灭 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to create a single, intensified concept. The first character, 消, carries the core idea of "dissipating", "fading away", or "making something disappear". The second, 灭, means "to extinguish", "to put out" (like a fire), or "to destroy utterly". When paired, they conceptually merge into a powerful sense of complete annihilation, first causing something to vanish or weaken (消), then ensuring its total cessation or eradication (灭). The formation is a logical, semantic compounding where the second character intensifies and completes the action of the first.