sacrifice

/ˈsækrəfaɪs/
verb
  1. To give up something valuable for a more important reason or person.
    • They sacrificed their comfort to help the refugees.
    • He sacrificed a promotion to stay close to his family.
    • She sacrificed her free time to volunteer at the shelter.
  2. To offer something to a god, especially by killing it in a religious ceremony.
    • The ritual required them to sacrifice a lamb.
    • In some cultures, people sacrificed crops to ensure a good harvest.
    • The ancient tribe would sacrifice animals to their sun god.
Antonyms
noun
  1. An act of giving up something valuable for the sake of something else, often a higher purpose or another person.
    • The soldier's sacrifice for his country will never be forgotten.
    • Her parents made many sacrifices to pay for her education.
    • He considered it a small sacrifice to give up his weekend to help a friend.
  2. An offering to a god, especially by killing an animal or person in a religious ritual.
    • In ancient times, people would offer a sacrifice to please the gods.
    • The temple was a place of prayer and sacrifice.
    • The priest prepared the animal for the sacrifice.
Synonyms