martyr
[ mahr-ter ]
/ ˈmɑr tər /
noun
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.
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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
OTHER WORDS FROM martyr
mar·tyr·ish, adjectivemar·tyr·ly, adverb, adjectiveun·mar·tyred, adjectiveWords nearby martyr
martinson, martinsville, martinů, martlet, martnet, martyr, martyrdom, martyrium, martyrize, martyrology, martyry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for martyr
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, or derogatory a 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
martyrization or martyrisation, nounWord Origin for martyr
Old English martir, from Church Latin martyr, from Late Greek martur-, martus witness
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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