martyr

1 of 2

noun

mar·​tyr ˈmär-tər 

1

: a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion

2

: a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle

a martyr to the cause of freedom

3

: victim

especially : a great or constant sufferer

a martyr to asthma all his life

—A. J. Cronin

martyrization

ˌmär-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

martyrize

ˈmär-tə-ˌrīz 

transitive verb

martyr

2 of 2

verb

martyred; martyring; martyrs

transitive verb

1

: to put to death for adhering to a belief, faith, or profession

2

: to inflict agonizing pain on : torture

Examples of martyr in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

By now we were used to hearing about how Trump had been saved by God, but his return to Butler was meant to cement his image as a martyr and a hero. —Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

The chapel was meant to house relics of the martyrs and apostles, Rossi said. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

Until that point, no other Afghan leader had ever martyred a son, adopted or otherwise, signifying how values were changing. —Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022

Was Laurent going to need to be martyred in order to spark rebirth in the world? —Charlie Mason, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys witness

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing martyr

• play the martyr

Kids Definition

martyr

1 of 2 noun

mar·​tyr ˈmärt-ər 

1

: a person who suffers death rather than give up his or her religion

2

: one who sacrifices life or something of great value for a principle or cause

3

: a person who suffers greatly

martyr

2 of 2 verb

1

: to put to death for refusing to give up a belief

2

: torture entry 2