also: しきれつ
na-adjective, noun
Describes heated competition, battles, debates, or struggles. Often used in news and formal contexts.
熾烈な競争を勝ち抜くには、独自の戦略が必要だ。
To survive the fierce competition, you need a unique strategy.
両チームの熾烈な戦いが続いている。
The intense battle between the two teams continues.
Irregular kana usage; the standard reading is しれつ.
Simplified spelling using し for the first character; less common but encountered.
激しい is a common i-adjective for violent, intense, or extreme situations. 熾烈 is more formal and emphasizes a relentless, cutthroat quality, often used for competition or conflict.
猛烈 means 'fierce' or 'violent' and can describe natural forces, speed, or effort. 熾烈 is narrower, focusing on sustained, heated human conflicts or rivalries.
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.