The Chinese word **渣滓 (zhāzi)** is a disyllabic compound formed by combining two near-synonymous characters, each contributing to an intensified meaning of "dregs" or "residue." The first character, **渣 (zhā)**, refers to fragments or sediment, like the dregs of tea or industrial slag. The second character, **滓 (zǐ)**, specifically denotes the settled sediment or impurities in a liquid. When paired, they create a single, more vivid term that originally described worthless physical sediment but has evolved metaphorically to describe socially or morally worthless people, emphasizing their complete and contemptible uselessness.