martyr
/ˈmɑːrtər/
verb
- To kill or cause someone to suffer greatly for their beliefs, especially religious or political ones.
- The dictator's regime martyred thousands of dissidents.
- According to tradition, the apostle Peter was martyred by being crucified upside down.
- The government was accused of martyring peaceful protesters.
- To make a martyr of someone, often by treating them as a hero after their death or suffering.
- The media tends to martyr fallen soldiers, turning them into symbols of national pride.
- The community martyred the young man after his death in the protest.
- Some activists try to martyr themselves for attention rather than for a real cause.
noun
- A person who is killed or made to suffer greatly because of their religious or political beliefs.
- Many people consider the civil rights leader a martyr for the cause of equality.
- The museum has a memorial dedicated to martyrs of the revolution.
- The early Christian martyrs were executed for refusing to worship Roman gods.
- A person who constantly complains or suffers in a way that gets sympathy from others.
- She always plays the martyr when she has to help with chores around the house.
- Stop being such a martyr about having to work late — everyone has to do it sometimes.
- He acts like a martyr every time he has to take care of his sick mother.