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

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

Noun

Today, on what would have been his 33rd birthday, our Nation honors the loving memory of Charlie Kirk – a father, husband, Christian martyr, & titan of the conservative movement. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 According to Bilal—who had nine cousins in Nusra, six of whom were already dead—these fighters were so keen to die in battle during Ramadan, the best time to be a martyr, that Nusra had to organize a lottery of names for suicide attacks. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for martyr

Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr

Verb

Hawley said the majority of conflicts between humans and coyotes occurs when a pet owner tries to save their pet from an attacking coyote.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
Running as the populist candidate, Brown has repeatedly attacked Husted as the face of data centers in the state and pushed to take on Silicon Valley if elected to office again.

— Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

Before they were killed, those chosen for sacrifice were taken to Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, or to temples or oracles scattered throughout the territory.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrates with fans after scoring off a sacrifice-fly from Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field on May 4, 2026.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of sacrifice

Verb

Serhiy, like Zabuzhko, locates his captor’s impulse to torture him in the very pages written by the Russian novelist.

— Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
The pirate crew is said to have tortured, killed and raped those aboard the royal ship, sparking global outrage and what is considered the first worldwide manhunt.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of torture

Noun

Memory and chip firms SanDisk, Western Digital, AMD, Seagate and Micron were the index’s biggest losers, all plunging around 10%.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026
Counting among the biggest losers on Election Day was Elon Musk, who is currently facing a lawsuit over allegations that the gas turbines at his Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee, are emitting pollution.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of loser

Verb

Buffalo’s Josh Allen, 30, is no longer the only AFC East quarterback who torments Miami.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
The sinister presence torments the family, and when their two-year-old suddenly vanishes, fear spirals into hysteria and paranoia as the family confronts a terrifying force that has turned their connected world against them.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of torment

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

The Paxton campaign decried the reporting, without denying it, while saying he had been politically persecuted.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
The company named all its weapons after Ukrainian intellectuals and artists killed or persecuted by Russians in the last century.

— Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

Gallagher has also sought to tie McGuire to cost-of-living problems plaguing Californians, such as the price of gasoline and housing.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Yet the overall mission is plagued with challenges, including the ongoing fighting, questions over American support and the outcome of the upcoming French elections.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of plague

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Style

“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of martyr

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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