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
-
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Barahona and his wife, Carmen, beat and tortured the twins, tying them with electrical cord and shocking them in a bathtub with the door locked, investigators said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
The expression on Moss-Bachrach’s face is tortured and tired, like just thinking about this awful day with Mikey took time off his life — and then, another awful thing.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary force, has attacked Israeli troops and targeted northern Israel with rockets and drones.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
While the man was being attacked, the woman used a shopping cart to fend off the suspect and protect the male victim.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In 1976, the Legislature turned the California Coastal Commission into a permanent agency that has tormented property owners and localities ever since.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Raman also assailed Bass over the fire, the worst in the city’s history.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
In the years following the departure of Ailes, many critics further assailed the network for eroding any line between news reporting and commentary and political advocacy.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Once diagnosed, pancreatic cancer has been a death sentence for those afflicted in the vast majority of cases.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Liberty sought a repeat victory in 2025 but was besieged by injuries and ultimately lost in the playoffs to the Mercury; Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, injured her ankle and missed numerous games, while guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a knee injury.—
Yohana Desta,
Vanity Fair,
7 May 2026
-
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents of the northeastern town insist the land is cursed.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Although the film never comes out and says it, Ohm was possibly conceived on these unhallowed grounds, so maybe he was just born cursed.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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