martyrdom

American  

[mahr-ter-duhm] / ˈmɑr tər dəm /

noun

1. the condition, sufferings, or death of a martyr.

2. extreme suffering; torment.

---

ˈmartyrdom British  

/ ˈmɑːtədəm /

noun

1. the sufferings or death of a martyr

2. great suffering or torment

---

Etymology

Origin of martyrdom

First recorded before 900; martyr + -dom

Example Sentences

This legacy of armed struggle, ideological martyrdom, and anti-imperialist narrative shaped her and her brother.

From The Wall Street Journal

In this triptych, Marat’s martyrdom is a muted centerpiece between grand hope and grander disaster.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Ralph Waldo Emerson saw it, Brown’s death on the scaffold turned him into a “new Saint awaiting his martyrdom, and who, if he shall suffer, will make the gallows glorious like the cross.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Whatever costs—in time, money and potentially even personal liberty—these legal actions bring may be more than offset by the halo of martyrdom conferred on the defendant.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the madrassa, he recalls mullahs - Muslim clerics - preaching heavily on a specific topic - martyrdom.

From BBC

Related Words

• persecution