martyrdom
Americannoun
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the sufferings or death of a martyr
-
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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-dom and -hood
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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.
"It would give this individual, who deserves no further notoriety, the martyrdom he seeks," she wrote on X, external, adding that "how we carry out justice matters just as much as the justice itself."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Arbaeen, which means forty in Arabic, marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed and a founding figure in Shia Islam.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Many accepted martyrdom rather than compromise their faith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
More clear-eyed now, Jean must reject her martyrdom and reclaim her own truth and agency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
“I cannot have a wish,” Jefferson concluded, “to descend daily into the arena like a gladiator to suffer martyrdom in every conflict.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
