The compound word **深陷** is formed by combining the character **深** (shēn), meaning "deep," with **陷** (xiàn), meaning "to sink," "to fall into," or "a pit." Together, they create a verb that literally describes sinking deeply into a mire or pit, but is most commonly used metaphorically to convey being deeply entangled, mired, or immersed in a difficult, negative, or all-consuming situation (e.g., debt, crisis, emotions, or a bad habit). The formation follows a standard Chinese grammatical structure where an adverb-like element (**深**) intensifies the action (**陷**), resulting in a meaning more vivid than either character alone.