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martyrdom

American  
[mahr-ter-duhm] / ˈmɑr tər dəm /

noun

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

  2. extreme suffering; torment.

martyrdom British  
/ ˈmɑːtədəm /

noun

  1. the sufferings or death of a martyr

  2. great suffering or torment

"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

Etymology

Origin of martyrdom

First recorded before 900; martyr + -dom

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.

Mojtaba Khamanei said in his message he had seen the late ayatollah's corpse after his "martyrdom".

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Khamenei in his statement drew on the same core Shiite themes of martyrdom and resistance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

The Islamic Republic and Shia Islam are imbued with the idea of martyrdom.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

The "people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom" of Khamenei, he added.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

“My dearest, don’t mention governesses; the word makes me nervous. I have suffered a martyrdom from their incompetency and caprice. I thank Heaven I have now done with them!”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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.