MARTYRED Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

martyred

verb

past tense of martyr

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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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 martyred The three Christian leaders—historical enemies—unite in that moment, are expelled, martyred, and resurrected. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyred

Verb

Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.

— Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026

Definition of persecuted

Verb

He was brutally tortured before being assigned his painting duties.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Other commissions include a monument to honor Native voices, a sculpture of gospel singer and Civil Rights activist Mahalia Jackson, and a site to recognize the survivors who were tortured by the Chicago Police Department during the 1970s-1990s.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

Evidence publicly presented in the Clancy case indicates Lindsay was the only adult at the family home when investigators believe the children were attacked.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
The Defense Ministry in Bucharest said that so far this year, Russia had attacked targets close to Romania's frontier 54 times, representing a significant increase on the 28 attacks close to the border in all of 2025.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, whose administration was widely assailed for its desultory initial response, has made high-profile appearances in La Guaira.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
No two tales of what happened to Maelor after his knight protector was shot dead agree, but the young boy was also slain on the bridge, perhaps torn apart by the mob who assailed him, arguing over what to do with the young prince.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of assailed

Verb

Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Repeat this process once the soil has dried again, until affected plants are no longer afflicted with pests.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of afflicted

Verb

As a result of her refusal, the entire kingdom is cursed to live without love and anyone who steps foot inside it is also cursed.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Ella is a young woman cursed to obey all instructions whose quest for self-determination also turns her into an advocate for the kingdom’s oppressed elves and ogres.

— Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of cursed

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martyred

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“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of martyred

verb

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