The word 气势汹汹 is formed by the conjunction of 气 (qì), meaning spirit or manner, and 势 (shì), meaning momentum or power, to denote an imposing demeanor; this is then modified by the reduplicated 汹汹 (xiōngxiōng), which mimics the sound and ferocity of rushing water, intensifying the phrase to convey a fierce, aggressive, and overbearing attitude.