martyr
/ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.46 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One who willingly accepts being put to death or willingly accepts challenging and exposing iniquity done to oneself for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after red martyrdom.
noun
One who sacrifices their life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
noun
One who suffers greatly or constantly, even involuntarily.
verb
To make someone into a martyr by putting them to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "The apostle Stephen was the first Christian martyr."
- "Fr. Felipe Císcar Puig was a Valencian priest who is also also considered a martyr of the sacramental seal because he was martyred after keeping confessions secret during the religious persecution of the Spanish Civil War."
- "Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris is a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it."
- "He'd been a martyr to asthma all his life."
- "J.Q. Murder wears sandpaper suits Broken glass in pocket, barbed wire boots Not because he's mean, but because he's a martyr He makes Jackie Collins look like Jean-Paul Sartre"
- "You have a great life! Stop trying to play the martyr!"
Etymology
From Middle English martir, from Old English martyr, itself a borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/
- British English: /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Religion.