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
-
During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
-
Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
-
The story of Alabama's congressional map is long and tortured.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Carney said antisemites in Canada have fired bullets at Jewish schools and thrown firebombs at synagogues and attacked community centers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Marte has absolutely tormented the Giants over the last week-and-change.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
Inside are museum spaces that tell the story of Obama’s Presidency, grounded in the country’s tormented racial history.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In 2018, that monopoly was assailed by signs and portents.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Losses from cattle afflicted by the parasite could run into the billions of dollars, with larger effects across the American economy, according to USDA estimates.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Identifying Black Spot Roses can be afflicted by several common plant diseases.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Over the years, we were constantly besieged with inquiries.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Delaney Evans, who drove a CATS bus for 10 years, said she has been spit on, threatened, cursed at, stalked.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
-
The Mexicans are convinced that they’re cursed.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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