1
: a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion
2
: a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle
a martyr to the cause of freedom
3
: victim
especially
: a great or constant sufferer
a martyr to asthma all his life —
A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin
martyred; martyring; martyrs
1
: to put to death for adhering to a belief, faith, or profession
2
: to inflict agonizing pain on : torture
Examples of martyr in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Louis Casiano, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2024
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
Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Until that point, no other Afghan leader had ever martyred a son, adopted or otherwise, signifying how values were changing.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for martyr 
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Noun
As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2024
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
Verb
In the years since, Peanut’s various costumes and antics, including jumping through hoops and eating waffles, have earned him hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, per Social Blade — even before he was martyred.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Until that point, no other Afghan leader had ever martyred a son, adopted or otherwise, signifying how values were changing.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for martyr
Dictionary Entries Near martyr
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyr. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
martyr
1 of 2 noun
mar·tyr
ˈmärt-ər 
1
: a person who suffers death rather than give up his or her religion
2
: one who sacrifices life or something of great value for a principle or cause
3
: a person who suffers greatly
martyr
2 of 2 verb1
: to put to death for refusing to give up a belief
2
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