martyrdom
Americannoun
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the sufferings or death of a martyr
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great suffering or torment
Etymology
Origin of martyrdom
Explanation
Suffering or dying for your beliefs, that’s martyrdom, and while it doesn’t sound pleasant, some people feel it’s a great honor. The root of martyrdom is the Greek word martur, which means “witness"; the suffix -dom means “state or condition.” In a religious context, people who experience martyrdom bear witness for their faith and suffer or die because of their beliefs. Some people falsely claim martyrdom as a way to get attention, like your brother who whines about doing chores because his pinkie hurts.
Vocabulary lists containing martyrdom
"Musée des Beaux Arts" by W.H. Auden
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"Musee des Beaux Arts," Vocabulary from the poem
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Poems 10.4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Islamic tradition, martyrdom is associated with spiritual purity, and families sometimes find comfort in describing such deaths as honoured.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
It used to rely on a more serious narrative drawing from the martyrdom iconography so deeply rooted in Shia Islam and the Soviet-style, anti-American symbolism of the 1979 revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
More clear-eyed now, Jean must reject her martyrdom and reclaim her own truth and agency.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
"With the martyrdom of the supreme leader, his path and mission neither will be lost nor will be forgotten, on the other hand, they will be pursued with greater vigour and zeal," a presenter said.
From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026
Maybe he’d been hallucinating, or his martyrdom fantasies had gotten the better of him.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
