The word 突出 is formed by combining two characters: 突, which conveys the idea of "sudden" or "protruding", and 出, which means "to exit" or "emerge". Visually and conceptually, the character 突 itself suggests something breaking through (from components meaning "hole" and "dog", historically implying a sudden rush out), and when paired with 出, it reinforces this imagery of something thrusting outward or bursting forth. Together, they create a compound whose literal sense is "to protrude suddenly", which then extends metaphorically to mean "to stand out" or "to highlight", forming a single conceptual unit from this vivid pictorial action.