martyr C2 Topic:Mind & Cognition US /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/ UK /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual Freq #10189 Meanings 1 verb kill as a martyr Saint Sebastian was martyred. 2 noun 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. 3 noun One who suffers greatly or constantly, even involuntarily. Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it. 4 noun Someone who exaggerates their pain and suffering in order to gain sympathy. You have a great life! Stop trying to play the martyr! Thesaurus Synonyms martyrize ↔ Opposites apostateconfessor Word family Forms martyrs Derived forms antimartyrcybermartyrhieromartyrmartyrdommartyrermartyressmartyrialmartyrisationmartyrishmartyrismmartyrizatemartyrization Related forms martyrionmartyriummartyrologemartyrologuemartyrologymartyry Etymology 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”). Topics Mind & Cognition External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # martyr **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** verb, noun **IPA (US):** /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/ **Frequency rank:** 10189 ## Meanings 1. kill as a martyr 2. 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. 3. One who suffers greatly or constantly, even involuntarily. 4. Someone who exaggerates their pain and suffering in order to gain sympathy. ## Examples - Saint Sebastian was martyred. - The apostle Stephen was the first Christian martyr. - Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it. - You have a great life! Stop trying to play the martyr! ## Synonyms - martyrize ## Antonyms - apostate - confessor ## Derived Forms - antimartyr - cybermartyr - hieromartyr - martyrdom - martyrer - martyress - martyrial - martyrisation - martyrish - martyrism - martyrizate - martyrization ## Related Forms - martyrion - martyrium - martyrologe - martyrologue - martyrology - martyry ## Etymology 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”). ## Topics - Mind & Cognition markdown