as in persecuted
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyred
She was martyred and mortified and endured and rose again in the eyes of the people.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
So did the entire first generation of Christians, many of whom were martyred.
—Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
One of our colleagues has been martyred.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Porter need not be martyred like Good and Pretti.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran, with its sophisticated military, near-nuclear capability, proxy networks spanning the region and a regime now martyred by foreign attack, will likely not be the exception.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
Khamenei, an ailing octogenarian, frequently spoke of his willingness to be martyred, and regime officials have claimed that Israel already tried to target them last summer, when Israel and Iran traded strikes in what would become known as the Twelve-Day War.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And martyred, really, martyred for his beliefs.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
So last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred, really martyred for his beliefs.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
So did the entire first generation of Christians, many of whom were martyred.
—Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
One of our colleagues has been martyred.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Porter need not be martyred like Good and Pretti.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran, with its sophisticated military, near-nuclear capability, proxy networks spanning the region and a regime now martyred by foreign attack, will likely not be the exception.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
Khamenei, an ailing octogenarian, frequently spoke of his willingness to be martyred, and regime officials have claimed that Israel already tried to target them last summer, when Israel and Iran traded strikes in what would become known as the Twelve-Day War.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And martyred, really, martyred for his beliefs.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
So last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred, really martyred for his beliefs.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyred
Verb
-
The Lieser family of Jewish industrialists was persecuted by the Nazis, including being imprisoned, and lost almost all their possessions to Nazi seizure.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
-
Family members and friends were persecuted, arrested, and killed.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Six men lured victims to resort then tortured them at gunpoint, FBI says.—
,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
And in today's world, with the advent of cyberbullying, thanks to every kid having a digital footprint, a child can be tortured without even seeing their bully face-to-face.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The two sisters entered the restaurant, ran behind the counter and attacked the 23-year-old employee after they were given a wrong order, prosecutors said, according to the outlet.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between the two countries since February, when Afghanistan attacked Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The westward-looking Façade of the Passion is stark, its figures tormented, their bodies strained in angular poses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Marte has absolutely tormented the Giants over the last week-and-change.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Lander has assailed Goldman for accepting AIPAC’s endorsement and for voting to send military aid to Israel, which Lander has vowed to oppose.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
The former increases excitability and preparedness for movement in response to the tennis equivalent of being assailed by a woolly mammoth.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Examples include assisting the blind, providing alerts of sounds to the deaf, assisting those afflicted by seizures, retrieving items, providing physical support, and helping those with psychiatric or neurological disabilities.—
Shari Wald Garrett,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Raspberries are also afflicted with several viruses that can cause plants to decline and ruin the fruit.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
In place of the ancient forest was a shorn land besieged by uncontrollable wildfires, prone to land-slides and erosion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In his decade-long career, he’s often been heckled and cursed at by spectators during domestic matches.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
It also was alleged that the judge didn't properly supervise clerks and on one occasion yelled and cursed at staff.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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