martyr

1 of 2

noun

mar·​tyr ˈmär-tər How to pronounce martyr (audio)
1
: a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion
2
: a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle
a martyr to the cause of freedom
3
: victim
especially : a great or constant sufferer
a martyr to asthma all his life A. J. Cronin
martyrization noun
martyrize transitive verb

martyr

2 of 2

verb

martyred; martyring; martyrs

transitive verb

1
: to put to death for adhering to a belief, faith, or profession
2
: to inflict agonizing pain on : torture

Examples of martyr in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
On August 1st, a young man arrived at Odeh Hospital in Gaza—a martyr. Nima Hasan august 15, Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025 Being carted away in handcuffs by officials in Trump’s Justice Department would probably elevate Newsom to Democratic martyr status. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Verb
In Shi’a tradition, to die mazloum is to be martyred without justice or witness, your story left in fragments for others to try and piece together. Neda Maghbouleh august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025 His grandfather was martyred in the 1971 war, the former spy reveals. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for martyr

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys witness

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of martyr was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyr. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

martyr

1 of 2 noun
mar·​tyr ˈmärt-ər How to pronounce martyr (audio)
1
: a person who suffers death rather than give up his or her religion
2
: one who sacrifices life or something of great value for a principle or cause
3
: a person who suffers greatly

martyr

2 of 2 verb
1
: to put to death for refusing to give up a belief
2

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