Phono-semantic compound:
水 (물 수, “water”) — semantic element, relating to flow or movement.
帶 (띠 대, “belt, to carry”) — phonetic element, lending the sound 체/zhì.
The combination expresses the idea of “water being held back or obstructed,” hence “stagnation, blockage.”
Conveys both physical blockage (water or traffic being stuck) and abstract delay (affairs not proceeding smoothly).
Frequently appears in compounds with 遲 (지체, tardy) and 停 (정체, halt).
지체 (遲滯) — delay, hindrance
정체 (停滯) — stagnation, congestion
애체 (礙滯) — obstruction, impediment