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

After being arrested in 2013, Ulbricht became something of a martyr in crypto circles for his part in spreading the bitcoin gospel. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 23 Jan. 2025

The road to Baalbek was lined with placards memorializing martyrs, the deceased members of Hezbollah whose portraits are adorned with the party’s yellow flag. —Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Verb

King was martyred for his role in that struggle for freedom and equality that has bettered the lives of all Americans, not solely African-Americans. —Paul L. Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2025

The myths are impossible to confirm hundreds of years later, Beach said, but the story is that Magnus was a Roman soldier who helped gather Christians to be martyred. —Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 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