炽烈 (chì liè) — blazing, raging (of fire); intense, passionate (of emotions)

Definition

A literary word for 'blazing / raging' (fire) and 'intense, passionate' (emotions, feelings) — much stronger and more written than the everyday 强烈.

adjective
blazingraging (of fire)intensepassionate (of emotions)

Examples

  • 炽烈。
    chì liè De huǒ yàn zhào liàng le zhěng gè yè kōng.
    The blazing flames lit up the entire night sky.
  • 炽烈。
    Tā duì yì shù yǒu zhe chì liè de rè qíng.
    He has an intense passion for art.
  • 炽烈，。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng pào huǒ chì liè, xiāo yān mí màn.
    On the battlefield, gunfire raged and smoke filled the air.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

炽chìblazing
烈lièfierce

The 炽烈 fire is 炽, blazing, and 烈, fierce or intense.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熾; 炽 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí熾chì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熾 pairs 火, fire, with 戠 for the sound; the simplified 炽 is a later shorthand.

Open 炽 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè烈liè
Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Open 烈 →

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