sacrifice
the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.
the person, animal, or thing so offered.
the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.
the thing so surrendered or devoted.
a loss incurred in selling something below its value.
Also sacrifice hit .Baseball. a batted ball, specifically a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, that results in the batter being put out at first base while one or more base runners safely advance. Abbreviation: S
to make a sacrifice or offering of.
to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.
to dispose of (goods, property, etc.) regardless of profit.
Baseball. to make a sacrifice hit: He sacrificed in the top of the fourth with a fly ball that brought in the go-ahead run from third base.
to offer or make a sacrifice.
Origin of sacrifice
1Other words for sacrifice
Other words from sacrifice
- sac·ri·fice·a·ble, adjective
- sac·ri·fic·er, noun
- non·sac·ri·fice, noun
- non·sac·ri·fic·ing, adjective
- pre·sac·ri·fice, noun, verb, pre·sac·ri·ficed, pre·sac·ri·fic·ing.
- su·per·sac·ri·fice, noun, verb (used with object), su·per·sac·ri·ficed, su·per·sac·ri·fic·ing.
- un·sac·ri·fice·a·ble, adjective
- un·sac·ri·ficed, adjective
- un·sac·ri·fic·ing, adjective
- well-sac·ri·ficed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sacrifice in a sentence
Unfortunately, the last month has changed the sacrifices we must make to try to avoid the coronavirus.
Why Even A Small Thanksgiving Is Dangerous | Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com) | November 20, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightTo express national gratitude requires rewarding national service as part of the social contract in exchange for sacrifice.
Veterans Day is a time to consider how to reward front-line covid-19 workers | James Grossman, Laura McEnaney | November 11, 2020 | Washington PostI know they’re itching to go see people, just like regular students, but you’ve got to make sacrifices in order to do what you want to do.
Pickup games, one-on-one and a wedding: How Virginia basketball spent the pandemic | Gene Wang | November 9, 2020 | Washington PostThey don’t want to be watched over or babysat or told what to do, and I can understand that, but I’d like to believe we’re still capable of making a communal sacrifice.
There are still some solid options if you need to save cash, but you’ll more than likely find yourself making a couple of sacrifices.
Best wireless earbuds: Five things to consider | PopSci Commerce Team | October 30, 2020 | Popular-Science
The Good Wife leaves us wondering how many people have sacrificed their beliefs for their careers.
The Good Wife’s Religion Politics: Voters Have No Faith in Alicia's Atheism | Regina Lizik | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAccording to Doha News, it was around this time that Al-Thani sacrificed his Supercomplication watch to pay for the debts.
The Mysterious Death of the Art World’s Favorite Sheikh | Lizzie Crocker | November 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTT: Well, very brave people who have fought for gay rights have sacrificed their lives for others.
Predictably, state funding for mental health services is sacrificed during downturns, like the Recession we just experienced.
As he was taken down from the dock to be driven to prison he was downcast, as anyone would be who was publicly sacrificed.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine | Clive Irving | August 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was a very dangerous one, too, and sometimes lives were sacrificed in his efforts to capture or to kill this fierce wild beast.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeThe money was sucked into the whirlpool; there was a speedy cry for more; and more was got and sacrificed.
How bitterly she repented having sacrificed so much, out of a foolish sense of gratitude to his father.
The World Before Them | Susanna MoodieIt is used in describing the operation of cutting in twain the animal sacrificed at the ratification of a covenant.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamThey have levied war, excited rebellions, dethroned princes, and sacrificed millions for the sake of gain.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl Becker
British Dictionary definitions for sacrifice
/ (ˈsækrɪˌfaɪs) /
a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil
a ritual killing of a person or animal with the intention of propitiating or pleasing a deity
a symbolic offering of something to a deity
the person, animal, or object surrendered, destroyed, killed, or offered
a religious ceremony involving one or more sacrifices
loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value
chess the act or an instance of sacrificing a piece
to make a sacrifice (of); give up, surrender, or destroy (a person, thing, etc)
chess to permit or force one's opponent to capture (a piece) freely, as in playing a combination or gambit: he sacrificed his queen and checkmated his opponent on the next move
Origin of sacrifice
1Derived forms of sacrifice
- sacrificeable, adjective
- sacrificer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse