MARTYR Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

martyr 1 of 2

verb

Definition of martyr

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.

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martyr

2 of 2

noun

as in sacrifice

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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

Verb

Porter need not be martyred like Good and Pretti. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026 Iran, with its sophisticated military, near-nuclear capability, proxy networks spanning the region and a regime now martyred by foreign attack, will likely not be the exception. — Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026

Noun

In a normal rom-com, this is where Jack would exit stage left as the martyr who nudged Wendy toward her true soulmate. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 In 2020 Pope Francis recognized Gerardi as a martyr, advancing his cause for canonization in the Roman Catholic Church. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for martyr

Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr

Verb

The recent success of a late-stage mRNA cancer vaccine, showing the drug stopped the return of melanoma, has boosted hopes that the approach can be successfully harnessed to attack other cancers.

— Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
In Ohio, Husted has been repeatedly attacked for his role in attracting data centers to Ohio as lieutenant governor.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

Campbell cautioned that this doesn’t mean that the hundreds of other burials in these areas were also victims of human sacrifice.

— Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Travis Roy Rogers plays Darrel Curtis, the eldest who has been forced to take on a parental role and is starting to resent all his unappreciated sacrifices.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of sacrifice

Verb

Some veterans say recruiters deceived them and Haitian authorities tortured them; their families call them scapegoats.

— Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Alas, Hersh was to miss the flight because he was still being held hostage, starving, tortured, and surviving on that date in terrifying confinement.

— Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of torture

Noun

In many of life’s winner-loser outcomes, the fate of the losers is all but inevitable, granted the values, resources and determination of the winners.

— James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Gaskell noted that a relatively small number of active losers account for a substantial amount of sportsbooks’ revenue.

— ProPublica, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of loser

Verb

Stylistically, this encyclopedic catch-all of genres readily segues from sermons and soliloquies to thrilling action sequences and anguished cris de coeur.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
His effort to have (ahem) his cake and eat it too regarding Iran — acting reportedly anguished behind closed doors but publicly supportive of the administration — speaks to a level of calculation that makes people uncomfortable.

— Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 23 June 2026

Definition of anguish

Verb

Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

As people suffer the effects of disease, the vampire rises to plague our nightmares.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Based on its survey work, Morgan Stanley believes the issues that plagued the second quarter was macro related and not something structurally tied to the TJX brand.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of plague

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marts

martyr

martyrdom

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Style

“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of martyr

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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