play the martyr

idiom

: to act like someone who deserves admiration or sympathy because of being badly treated

Examples of play the martyr in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, watch out for an inclination to play the martyr or savior today, as you may feel called to sacrifice your own needs for someone else’s. Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 18 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play the martyr.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near play the martyr

Cite this Entry

“Play the martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20martyr. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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