a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion.
a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause: a martyr to the cause of social justice.
a person who undergoes severe or constant suffering: a martyr to severe headaches.
a person who seeks sympathy or attention by feigning or exaggerating pain, deprivation, etc.
verb (used with object)
to make a martyr of, especially by putting to death.
to torment or torture.
Origin of martyr
before 900; (noun) Middle English marter,Old English martyr<Late Latin <Late Greek mártyr, variant of Greek mártys, mártyros witness; (v.) Middle English martiren,Old English martyrian, derivative of noun
Another thing I think is really important is that right now we expect people to be sort of martyrs if they enter into government service and then they turn around and become lobbyists to make a lot of money.
Why Is This Man Running for President? (Ep. 362 Update)|Stephen J. Dubner|December 19, 2019|Freakonomics
Conservative Muslim women in Turkey hailed Esme as a martyr and a symbol of female strength and resistance.
Allah, Mom, and Baklava: Turkish President Uses Mothers and Kids as Political Pawns|Xanthe Ackerman|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He informed her that Hamzat had “become a shahid,” a martyr, and he was dead.
The Secret Life of an ISIS Warlord|Will Cathcart, Vazha Tavberidze, Nino Burchuladze|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With that, writes historian Edward Larson, “The fundamentalist movement acquired a martyr.”
The Scopes Monkey Trial 2.0: It’s Not About the Stupid Science-Deniers|Michael Schulson|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Claiming that moderation in a time of such crisis is no virtue,” the martyr of American Russian studies declared.
Meet the Anti-Semites, Truthers, and Alaska Pol at D.C.’s Pro-Putin Soiree|James Kirchick|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), the House Armed Services Committee chairman, cast Cantor as a martyr for his party.
Republicans Panicked After Eric Cantor Loss: ‘This Is Like Robespierre’|Ben Jacobs, Tim Mak|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And instead of receiving military promotion he became a martyr.
The Influence of the Bible on Civilisation|Ernst Von Dobschutz
One of the boating men made a martyr of himself and took the mother.
Original Short Stories, Volume 12 (of 13)|Guy de Maupassant
They took with them a relic, supposed to be the body of St. Clement of Rome, a martyr.
Curiosities of Christian History|Croake James
He was sent out on a mission to the East Indies and Japan, and gave himself to the work with a martyr's devotion.
The Story of the Hymns and Tunes|Theron Brown and Hezekiah Butterworth
He was wearing an expression of beatific patience; he would have made a fine study for a picture of the martyr at the stake.
The Deluge|David Graham Phillips
British Dictionary definitions for martyr
martyr
/ (ˈmɑːtə) /
noun
a person who suffers death rather than renounce his religious beliefs
a person who suffers greatly or dies for a cause, belief, etc
a person who suffers from poor health, misfortune, etche's a martyr to rheumatism
facetious, orderogatorya person who feigns suffering to gain sympathy, help, etc
verb Also: 'martyrˌize, 'martyrˌise(tr)
to kill as a martyr
to make a martyr of
Derived forms of martyr
martyrizationormartyrisation, noun
Word Origin for martyr
Old English martir, from Church Latin martyr, from Late Greek martur-, martus witness