The kanji character 烈 primarily conveys the meaning of intense heat, extreme severity, or vehemence. It often describes something that is very strong, fierce, or passionate. It can refer to physical heat, emotional intensity, or a powerful force.

・On-yomi (音読み): レツ (retsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, as the meaning is generally expressed using the On-yomi.

⚫︎激烈（げきれつ） Translation: intense; fierce; violent ⚫︎烈火（れっか） Translation: raging fire; a blazing fire ⚫︎烈士（れっし） Translation: a martyr; a patriot

The kanji 烈 is a pictophonetic compound. The left side is 火 (hi), meaning "fire," which provides the semantic component (meaning). The right side, 歹 (gai/ketsu), originally represented "death" or "decay" but here acts as a phonetic component, giving a sound element. The combination of these components suggests the intense and destructive power associated with extreme fire or heat. The character's formation visually emphasizes the concept of something burning with a high intensity.