烈 — “Ardent / Violent / Vehement / Furious” in Japanese

Master (高手)れつ, はげ

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“Ardent / Violent / Vehement / Furious” in Japanese is 烈, read retsu, hage (れつ, はげ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 激烈 (violent).

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What does 烈 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	烈
Meaning	Ardent / Violent / Vehement / Furious
Readings	れつ, はげ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	激烈 (violent)

How to read 烈

烈 is read retsu (れつ) or hage (はげ) depending on the word.

Words with 烈

猛烈
激烈

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Kanji read the same way as 烈

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28