烈
ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe, extreme
Readings
On'yomi
- レツ
Kun'yomi
- はげ.しい
Nanori
- やす
Meaning
烈 centers on intense, forceful energy: something ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe, or extreme. It describes a state where passion or power is pushed to a high degree.
Most common words using 烈
20 of 37- 強烈きょうれつN1
strong; intense; severe
- 猛烈もうれつN1
fierce; intense; severe; violent; strong; vehement; terrific; terrible
- 熱烈ねつれつN1
ardent; passionate; vehement
- 痛烈つうれつN1
severe; bitter; scathing
- 熾烈しれつ
fierce (fight, competition, etc.); severe; hot; hard; bitter; keen; cutthroat
- 烈火れっか
raging fire; conflagration
- 烈風れっぷう
gale; violent (strong) wind
- 激烈げきれつ
violence; vehemence; fury; fervour; fervor; severity; fierceness; keenness
- 苛烈かれつ
severe; fierce; stern
- 鮮烈せんれつ
vivid; striking
- 奇天烈きてれつ
very strange; odd; queer
- 烈士れっし
upright man; patriot; hero
- 烈震れっしん
disastrous earthquake
- 壮烈そうれつ
heroic; brave
- 余烈よれつ
ancestor's meritorious deeds; the evil effects of the lives of our predecessors
- 偉烈いれつ
great achievement
- 凄烈せいれつ
fierce
- 勇烈ゆうれつ
bravery; valor; valour; courage
- 奇妙奇天烈きみょうきてれつ
extremely weird; very eccentric
- 峻烈しゅんれつ
severe; harsh; rigorous; trenchant; scathing; sharp; incisive; cutting
Study
Etymology
烈 combines 列 (arrange, line up) with 灬 (fire). The fire radical suggests intense heat or burning, giving the idea of fierce, violent energy. The 列 component likely contributes a phonetic element.
Meaning mnemonic
A line (列) of fire (灬) burns fiercely, representing something ardent, violent, or extreme.
Reading mnemonic
For レツ, imagine a line of fire so intense it makes a loud 'rets' crackling sound: rets -> レツ.