Meaning & use
martyr
A person who suffers or dies for their beliefs, cause, or faith rather than renounce them.
See it in a sentence
The cathedral honors an early martyr who refused to abandon her faith under persecution.
He became something of a martyr for the movement after his arrest drew national attention.
A note on using this word
The verb to martyr oneself, or acting like a martyr, is sometimes used critically for someone who exaggerates their own suffering for sympathy.
Words with a similar meaning
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