martyr

American  

[mahr-ter] / ˈmɑr tər /

noun

1. a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce their religion.

2. a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause.

   Her death has made her a martyr to the cause of social justice.

3. a person who undergoes severe or constant suffering.

   The patient was a martyr to severe headaches.

4. a person who seeks sympathy or attention by feigning or exaggerating pain, deprivation, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to persecute for supporting a belief or cause, especially by putting to death.

2. to torment or torture.

martyr British  

/ ˈmɑːtə /

noun

1. a person who suffers death rather than renounce his religious beliefs

2. a person who suffers greatly or dies for a cause, belief, etc

3. a person who suffers from poor health, misfortune, etc

   he's a martyr to rheumatism

4. facetious a person who feigns suffering to gain sympathy, help, etc

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verb

1. to kill as a martyr

2. to make a martyr of

Other Word Forms

• martyrish adjective
• martyrization noun
• martyrly adverb
• unmartyred adjective

Etymology

Origin of martyr

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun martir, marter, Old English martyr from Old French and Late Latin, from Late Greek mártyr, dialect variant of Greek mártys, mártyros “witness”; verb derivative of noun

Explanation

Someone who suffers, or is even killed, for his or her political or religious beliefs is called a martyr. Martin Luther King Jr. is often called a martyr in connection with the American civil rights movement. A martyr is also someone who chooses to be put to death rather than renounce his or her religious beliefs, as the story of Saint Stephen tells. In the figurative sense, if you are a martyr to headaches, you suffer from them. Sometimes, martyr is used negatively to refer to someone who chooses to suffer when there is no need to do so.

Example Sentences

A local newspaper quoted his mother, Sadaf Monfared, as saying the boy told her he "would like to become a martyr".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Lim believes the judge will hand down a life sentence, though, so as to "avoid making Yoon a martyr".

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Good has become a genuine martyr, inspiring people and making them realize that they can make a significant contribution with the power of a camera phone and a red beanie cap.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

He’s an unhappy but willing martyr whose heart is slowly breaking the entire time.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

She had died as a martyr centuries before.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• scapegoat