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
Example 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
Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
The skeletal remains of two saints martyred in Rome more than 1,800 years ago are on display at the front of the church, encased in illuminated glass tombs.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 18 Apr. 2025
Why does John Proctor, that man, get the chance to redeem himself as a martyr while leaving a pregnant wife behind and all sorts of human devastation in his wake?
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
He apparently was martyred in Azerbaijan, which is an interesting tidbit.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
The skeletal remains of two saints martyred in Rome more than 1,800 years ago are on display at the front of the church, encased in illuminated glass tombs.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
In general, the poem makes a point to emphasize resilience in the face of adversity, which proves that McVeigh considered his cause right until the bitter end and saw himself as a martyr.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 18 Apr. 2025
Why does John Proctor, that man, get the chance to redeem himself as a martyr while leaving a pregnant wife behind and all sorts of human devastation in his wake?
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
-
Diddy's alleged reaction to public release of his attack on Cassie Ventura Jane's testimony gave the jury insight into how Diddy reacted when surveillance footage of the rapper attacking Cassie Ventura went public in May 2024.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
-
President Donald Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts last year, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked in their San Francisco home in 2022.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Readers of my deals stories will know that the sacrifice for these freebies is historically poor trade-in valuations compared to U.S. pricing.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
-
But what's really cool is how the movie brings those story lines together in a narrative filled with intriguing twists, gnarly kills, heroic sacrifices and a slew of nifty new Predator designs.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
-
Now the man accused of torturing her could be facing a murder charge.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
But the Phillies are skidding, losers of four in a row.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
The winning team heads to the semifinals, while the loser will head to a last-chance game against the winner of Friday's game between Florida and Tennessee to determine which advances to the semifinals.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
As a girl, she was also tormented by a reddish blotchiness on her face, most likely from rosacea or acne.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
As with Lydia, June is able to reconcile somewhat with Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), who tormented her as the wife of Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), June's first master.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Where his previous projects were conflicted and often anguished, this one is celebratory.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
-
Others will be anguishing over Irving (John Turturro) and Burt (Christopher Walken), whose respective and collective fates weren’t addressed at all.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In 1968 a Jewish Dutch woman named Selma Vos was persecuted to death along with her husband, Cao Richang, an eminent psychologist who had helped found the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
-
Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order by a judge forbidding his removal to El Salvador because of concerns he would be persecuted there.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Inside a Palm Beach County courtroom, Judge Kathleen Kroll is trying to tackle a problem that has plagued Florida schools in recent years: An alarming number of students aren’t showing up for school.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
-
But visa issues may plague the lead-up to the event — and not just for athletes but the vast Olympics ecosystem, from coaches and families to sponsors and vendors to, of course, attendees.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share