also: しきれつ
Describes heated competition, battles, debates, or struggles. Often used in news and formal contexts.
To survive the fierce competition, you need a unique strategy.
The intense battle between the two teams continues.
熾烈 is a more literary word for fierce competition or fighting, while 猛烈 is broader and can describe weather, emotion, or effort as well.
熾烈 describes fierce, cutthroat competition, while 白熱 highlights the moment a contest or debate reaches its most intense, climactic point.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading しきれつ is an irregular variant of this form.
Irregular kana usage; the standard reading is しれつ.
Simplified spelling using し for the first character; less common but encountered.
The kanji 熾 (shi) means 'kindling' or 'blazing', and 烈 (retsu) means 'violent' or 'intense'. Together they convey a blazing, fierce intensity. The word is a Sino-Japanese compound.