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
Brittany Friedman / Made By History, TIME, 6 Jan. 2025
Violent rioters — prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned — somehow became patriotic martyrs.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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
White South Carolinians praised the Klansmen as martyrs of the former Confederacy.
—Brittany Friedman / Made By History, TIME, 6 Jan. 2025
Violent rioters — prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned — somehow became patriotic martyrs.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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 9 Jan. 2025.
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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