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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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.
Martyrdom is a constant motif in the ideology of the Islamic Republic and in Shia Islam.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
Martyrdom is exactly what KSM had been seeking for years.
From Slate • Aug. 1, 2024
“Swear to shake it up if you swear to listen / Oh, we’re still so young but desperate for attention,” Urie belts on “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage.”
From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2023
Another demon story is found in the "Martyrdom of Bartholomew," which probably dates back to the sixth century.
From Salon • Aug. 1, 2020
“Will you please stop talking about imprisonment? You seem to be preoccupied with the thought. Actually, you seem to enjoy thinking about it. Martyrdom is meaningless in our age.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
