as in to attack
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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 martyr
Antoinette Radford, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024
It’s located near the site where Joan of Arc was martyred in the 15th century.
—Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
The chapel was meant to house relics of the martyrs and apostles, Rossi said.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr 
Verb
Their mother was martyred and so was their brother.
—Antoinette Radford, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024
It’s located near the site where Joan of Arc was martyred in the 15th century.
—Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
Noun
By now we were used to hearing about how Trump had been saved by God, but his return to Butler was meant to cement his image as a martyr and a hero.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
The chapel was meant to house relics of the martyrs and apostles, Rossi said.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
-
Governments around the world have trained eagles to attack unmanned aircraft.Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
-
The accuser says she was attacked by the two rappers at an after-show party following the Video Music Awards.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Read: Thanksgiving should be in October Attending a less-than-thrilling shindig, anyway, isn’t necessarily a noble sacrifice.Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Being apart from them was a painful sacrifice, but the promise of Canadian residency for her and eventually her children seemed worth it.Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
As the Assads lived a life of luxury, their regime locked up, tortured and killed thousands of its citizens.Richard Engel, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Throughout the decades of the Assads’ rule, resistance of any kind was brutally quashed, and offenders were detained and tortured in a network of dozens of facilities across the country.Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Reporters dutifully type up the winners and losers on their flights home.Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
-
As with other areas of the law, the Biden-Harris administration routinely weaponized antitrust enforcement to pick economic winners and losers.Tom Hebert, National Review, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Jeudy had torched Wallace and tormented the Empower Field crowd that used to root for him.Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 5 Dec. 2024
-
Christmas Vacation excels best in the chaos, from Clark’s yuppie neighbors being perpetually tormented by him to the anarchic family dinners (blissfully unaware Aunt Bethany is our personal MVP).EW.com, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Abraham Lincoln hated the death penalty and anguished over every case in which he was asked to commute it.The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Trump has won voters who once voted for FDR, and Democrats will anguish over how to get them back without alienating the other parts of their coalition, including women, young people and people of color.Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Like Oya and Elphaba, Céline tells her story from the perspective of the persecuted.Anita Kopacz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Set aside the fact that Trump never persecuted his political enemies during his first term, including Hilary Clinton.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Karlsson is starting to eliminate the bad decisions that plagued him during the season’s first month.Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host of the 2034 World Cup, a controversial move as all eyes turn to its human rights record and concerns following migrant worker abuses that plagued Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near martyr
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share