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 WebTIME, 4 Apr. 2024
While her poor mother (Gemma Jones) weeps and authoritarian father (Timothy Spall) sputters with rage and the police drag their heels, Edith assumes the countenance of brave-faced, sympathy-slurping martyr in a worrisomely godless postwar society.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr 
Noun
Moon worked to cast himself as a martyr persecuted for an unconventional faith, drawing support from a range of civil libertarians and religious conservatives, including Jerry Falwell and Tim LaHaye.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
While her poor mother (Gemma Jones) weeps and authoritarian father (Timothy Spall) sputters with rage and the police drag their heels, Edith assumes the countenance of brave-faced, sympathy-slurping martyr in a worrisomely godless postwar society.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'martyr.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near martyr
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyr. Accessed 16 Apr. 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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