martyr
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martyr
- /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/ Australia
- [ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)] Australia
- [ˈmɐːɾə(ɹ)] Australia
- /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/ UK
- /ˈmɑɹ.tɚ/ US
- [ˈmɑɹ.ɾɚ] US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English martir, from Old English martyr, itself a borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).
noun martyrs
- One who willingly accepts being put to death or willingly accepts challenging and exposing iniquity done to oneself for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after red martyrdom. The apostle Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
- One who sacrifices their life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
- One who suffers greatly or constantly, even involuntarily. Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris is a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.
- Someone who exaggerates their pain and suffering in order to gain sympathy. You have a great life! Stop trying to play the martyr!
verb martyrs · martyring · martyred
- To make someone into a martyr by putting them to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession. Fr. Felipe Císcar Puig was a Valencian priest who is also also considered a martyr of the sacramental seal because he was martyred after keeping confessions secret during the religious persecution of the Spanish Civil War.
- To persecute. Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.
- To torment; to torture. Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you. This one hand yet is left to cut your throats, Whiles that Lavinia ’tween her stumps doth hold The basin that receives your guilty blood.
Similar: martyrize
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: sufferer, martyrdom, stephen, hell, shaheed, fedayee, shahid, witness, long-suffering, suicide, suffering, agony, killed, casualty, self-sacrificer, confessor
verb
Similar: martyrize
Translations
Every language
noun one willing to be killed or persecuted for religion
| Español | mártir |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 순교자 sun'gyoja, 샤히드 syahideu |
| 日本語 | 殉教者 junkyōsha, シャヒード shahīdo |
| 中文 | 烈士 lièshì, 殉道者 xùndàozhě |
| हिन्दी | हुतात्मा hutātmā, बलिदानी balidānī, शहीद śahīd |
| Português | mártir |
| Français | martyr, martyre, chahîd, chahid |
| Deutsch | Märtyrer, Märtyrerin |
| Italiano | martire |
| Ελληνικά | μάρτυρας mártyras |
| Română | mucenic, muceniță |
| Русский | му́ченик múčenik, му́ченица múčenica, шахи́д šaxíd, шахи́дка šaxídka |
| العربية | شُهَدَاء šuhadāʔ, شَهِيد šahīd, شَهِيدَة šahīda |
| עברית | קָדֹושׁ kadósh, שָׁהִיד shahíd, קָדֹושׁ מְעֻנֶּה kadósh me'uné |
noun one who sacrifices their life for an important cause
| Español | mártir |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 순교자 sun'gyoja |
| 日本語 | 殉教者 junkyōsha |
| 中文 | 烈士 lièshì |
| हिन्दी | हुतात्मा hutātmā, बलिदानी balidānī, शहीद śahīd |
| Português | mártir |
| Français | martyr |
| Italiano | martire |
| Ελληνικά | μάρτυρας mártyras |
| Română | martir |
| Русский | му́ченик múčenik, му́ченица múčenica |
noun one who suffers greatly, even involuntarily
| Español | mártir |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 受難者 junansha |
| 中文 | 受難者 /受难者 shòunànzhě |
| हिन्दी | बलिदानी balidānī |
| Português | mártir |
| Français | martyr |
| Italiano | martire |
| Ελληνικά | μάρτυρας mártyras |
| Русский | му́ченик múčenik, му́ченица múčenica, страда́лец stradálec, страда́лица stradálica |
verb to make someone a martyr
| Español | martirizar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 使殉难, 处死 chǔsǐ |
| हिन्दी | शहीद करना śahīd karnā, क़ुरबान करना qurbān karnā |
| Português | martirizar |
| Français | martyriser |
| Română | martiriza |
Talk about this word "martyr." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/martyr. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. martyr. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/martyr "martyr." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/martyr.Cite this
@misc{martyr_2026,
title = {martyr},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/martyr},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
