The word 怒火 is formed by directly combining two vivid images: 怒 (nù), meaning "anger" or "rage", with 火 (huǒ), meaning "fire". This creates an immediate and powerful metaphor where anger is visualized not just as an emotion, but as a literal, burning fire within a person, a searing, destructive heat that can flare up, spread, and consume. The term captures the physical sensation and uncontrolled, dangerous nature of intense rage through this simple, visceral pictorial blend.