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
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In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
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Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
Verb
-
Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
-
This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
-
Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
-
The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Verb
-
Alex Freeman tormented his opponents in Seattle on Friday, 30 years after his famous dad did the same.
-
We have been tormented by the cost of electricity for decades.
Verb
-
Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
-
Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
Verb
-
They are both afflicted by cognitive and/or hearing issues.
-
Two-thirds of respondents afflicted with alpha-gal reported anxiety or depressive disorders in a 2025 University of Missouri survey.
Verb
-
In the adjacent room, the Shapiro team was equally besieged.
-
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.
Verb
-
The Cubs lost 8-6 and the cheers turned to jeers and swears as relief pitcher Jacob Webb cursed his own performance after the game.
-
As the inscription had been damaged, researchers couldn’t decipher whether this tablet had cursed four slaves or whether four slaves had cried out to the Egyptian gods and demi-heroes, who knows?
Cite this Entry
“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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