The word 风靡 is formed by combining the character 风 (fēng), meaning "wind", which metaphorically conveys rapid spread or influence, with 靡 (mǐ), meaning "to overturn" or "to spread out", here indicating being swept along or overwhelmed. Together, they create a compound meaning where 风 acts as the agent of swift dissemination and 靡 as the resulting state of widespread adoption, thus literally depicting something being carried by the wind to become popular or fashionable.