越 演 越 烈

yuè yǎn yuè lièdictionary entry

to be intensifying / to be getting worse and worse / to start to run rampant

Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-50fec63d1975e71b. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

越演越烈 越演越烈 [yue4 yan3 yue4 lie4] /to be intensifying/to be getting worse and worse/to start to run rampant/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

越
yuè
to exceed / to climb over / to surpass / the more... the more
Yuè
generic word for peoples or states of south China or south Asia at different historical periods / abbr. for Vietnam 越南
演
yǎn
to perform (a play etc); to stage (a show) / (bound form) to develop; to play out; to carry out (a task)
越
yuè
to exceed / to climb over / to surpass / the more... the more
Yuè
generic word for peoples or states of south China or south Asia at different historical periods / abbr. for Vietnam 越南
烈
liè
ardent / intense / fierce / stern / upright / to give one's life for a noble cause / exploits / achievements

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.