烈 (liè) - fierce, intense, violent, ardent & refers to blazing fire, strong emotions, or extreme

烈Tone 4

liè ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

嘹林

烈 · liè

fierce, intense, violent, ardent;

refers to blazing fire, strong emotions, or extreme intensity;

also used for martyrs who died for a cause.

fierce, intense, violent, ardentrefers to blazing fire, strong emotions, or extremealso used for martyrs who died for a

Usage highlights

fierce fireintense heatstrong liquorfierce battleviolent poisonfiery temperament

Synonyms

  • 猛— fierce, violent
  • 强— strong, powerful
  • 剧— intense, acute
  • 酷— cruel, intense

Antonyms

  • 柔— soft, gentle
  • 弱— weak, feeble
  • 温— warm, mild
  • 和— gentle, harmonious

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The fire burned fiercely (烈火).
  • He has a fiery temper (烈性子).
  • They fought a fierce battle (激烈的战斗).
  • She is a revolutionary martyr (革命烈士).

Collocations

  • fierce fire(烈火)
  • intense heat(烈热)
  • strong liquor(烈酒)
  • fierce battle(烈战)
  • violent poison(烈毒)
  • fiery temperament(烈性)

Idioms

  • As fierce as fire(如火如荼)
  • Fierce wind and swift thunder(烈风迅雷)
  • Intense sun and fierce wind(烈日烈风)
  • Three loyalties and nine martyrs(三忠九烈)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '烈' carries both positive connotations of heroic sacrifice and negative connotations of destructive intensity.
  • Historically used to describe martyrs who died for righteous causes, particularly in revolutionary contexts.
  • The character combines fire (灬) with a component suggesting splitting, conveying the idea of intense, spreading flames.

FAQ