MARTYR Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

martyr 1 of 2

verb

Definition of martyr

as in to attack

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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martyr

2 of 2

noun

as in sacrifice

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of martyr

Verb

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

Noun

This vessel has a controversial past, built by Nazi Germany in 1935 as SSS *Horst Wessel*, named after a Nazi martyr, before being taken as war reparations by the US. — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 But the bans only enhanced his fame, with conservative pundits hailing him as a free-speech martyr. — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for martyr

Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr

Verb

Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone leaders say the pastor’s words attack their identity and echo past religious assimilation, spurring weekly demonstrations and new rules requiring outside ministries to seek tribal approval.

— Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
To beat the odds, founders need to plan for a long-term goal that is relevant and achievable, then attack it in a series of sprints that enable incremental growth.

— Deann Evans, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

But the biggest sacrifice, one that is never fully restored unlike Pericles’ grievous losses, is the emotional weight of the play’s climax.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Brusuelas, the chief economist at RSM US, stressed that Trump would likely need to make sacrifices to meaningfully address the debt and reassure financial markets.

— Josh Boak, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of sacrifice

Verb

Ontario County First Assistant District Attorney James Nobles told the court that Arzuaga was at the center of the group accused of torturing Nordquist to death.

— Madison Scott, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Before long, much of the world’s empathy for America, which had been widespread in the wake of the attacks, dissipated, facilitated by the emergence of photos showing US soldiers abusing and torturing Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib facility.

— David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of torture

Verb

Stylistically, this encyclopedic catch-all of genres readily segues from sermons and soliloquies to thrilling action sequences and anguished cris de coeur.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
His effort to have (ahem) his cake and eat it too regarding Iran — acting reportedly anguished behind closed doors but publicly supportive of the administration — speaks to a level of calculation that makes people uncomfortable.

— Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 23 June 2026

Definition of anguish

Verb

Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
The Tates have denied all allegations and have claimed they are being persecuted for their views.

— Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

Safety and crowding concerns will continue to plague the uptown jail when Jail North reopens to alleviate conditions, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden warned late Friday.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026
Jackson broke his foot last training camp when a teammate stepped on it during practice, and that injury plagued him all of 2025 and required an offseason procedure that kept him sidelined during OTAs and minicamp.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of plague

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Style

“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of martyr

verb

noun

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