Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense martyrs, present participle martyring, past tense, past participle martyred
1. countable noun
A martyr is someone who is killed or made to suffer greatly because of their religious orpolitical beliefs, and is admired and respected by people who share those beliefs.
...a glorious martyr to the cause of liberty. [+ to]
...a Christian martyr.
The dead student is now being regarded as a martyr.
2. verb [usually passive]
If someone is martyred, they are killed or made to suffer greatly because of their religious or politicalbeliefs.
St Pancras was martyred in 304 AD. [beVERB-ed]
...whether its martyred leader is released or not. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: put to death, make a martyr of, martyrize [rare] More Synonyms of martyr
3. countable noun
If you refer to someone as a martyr, you disapprove of the fact that they pretend to suffer, or exaggerate their suffering, in order to get sympathy or praise from other people.
[disapproval]
When are you going to quit acting like a martyr?
Jennifer responded with anger and played the martyr role.
4. countable noun
If you say that someone is a martyrto something, you mean that they suffer as a result of it.
Ellsworth was a martyr to his sense of honour and responsibility. [+ to]
He said that he was a martyr to his back.
5. See also martyred
martyr in British English
(ˈmɑːtə)
noun
1.
a person who suffers death rather than renounce his or her religious beliefs
2.
a person who suffers greatly or dies for a cause, belief, etc
3.
a person who suffers from poor health, misfortune, etc
he's a martyr to rheumatism
4. facetious or derogatory
a person who feigns suffering to gain sympathy, help, etc
martyrization (ˌmartyriˈzation) or martyrisation (ˌmartyriˈsation)
noun
Word origin
Old English martir, from Church Latin martyr, from Late Greek martur-, martus witness
martyr in American English
(ˈmɑrtər)
noun
1.
a.
any of those persons who choose to suffer or die rather than give up their faith or principles
b.
any person tortured or killed because of his or her beliefs
2.
a person who suffers great pain or misery for a long time
3.
a person who assumes an attitude of self-sacrifice or suffering in order to arouse feelings of pity, guilt, etc. in others
verb transitive
4.
to put to death or torture for adherence to a belief
5.
to torture; make suffer greatly; persecute
Word origin
ME martir < OE < LL(Ec) < Gr martyr, martys, a witness (LGr(Ec), martyr) < IE base *(s)mer-, to remember, care > L memor, mindful, Sans smárati, (he) remembers
Examples of 'martyr' in a sentence
martyr
If your son wanted to play the martyr, he may have had to pay the price.
O'Connor, Joe DESPERADOES (1993)
`I have difficulty in seeing you in the role of martyr.
Maclean, Alistair SAN ANDREAS (1993)
He was telling her about an early Christian martyr, the subject of paintings since the fourteenth century.
Stewart, Michael COMPULSION (1993)
Thrse is tormented by the pull of multiple vocations: warrior, priest, apostle, doctor, martyr.
Newbery, Linda RIDDLE ME THIS (1993)
In other languages
martyr
British English: martyr /ˈmɑːtə/ NOUN
A martyr is someone who is killed or made to suffer greatly because of their religious or political beliefs.