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Meaning & use

martyrdom

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈmɑːtədəm/
US/ˈmɑːrtɚdəm/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The death or suffering of a person who is punished for refusing to give up their faith or cause.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable: she faced martyrdom. It can be countable but this is uncommon.

    Patterns

    • suffer martyrdom
    • die a martyr's death
    • the martyrdom of someone

    The church celebrates the martyrdom of its first leaders.

    He chose martyrdom rather than give up his beliefs.

    Stories of martyrdom spread quickly among the early followers.

  2. noununcountableinformaldisapproving

    Great suffering that someone takes on, or pretends to take on, to win sympathy or admiration.

    Grammar: Often used with a mocking tone: stop the martyrdom and ask for help.

    Patterns

    • play the martyr
    • a life of martyrdom

    Her constant martyrdom about housework made everyone feel guilty.

    Skipping lunch for the sake of a deadline was just martyrdom, not efficiency.

    He enjoys martyrdom more than finding a solution.

Word forms

pluralmartyrdoms

Common combinations

suffer martyrdom
Many early believers suffered martyrdom under the empire.
die in martyrdom
He died in martyrdom after refusing to deny his faith.
crown of martyrdom
The painting shows the saint receiving the crown of martyrdom.
seek martyrdom
The leader warned his followers not to seek martyrdom.
glorify martyrdom
The film was criticized for appearing to glorify martyrdom.

Synonyms and how they differ

sacrifice
Sacrifice is broader because it covers giving up anything valuable, not necessarily through suffering for a belief.
persecution
Persecution describes the cruel treatment itself, while martyrdom is the outcome or the suffering endured by the victim.
self-sacrifice
Self-sacrifice is about giving up your own interests for others, and does not imply being killed or punished for beliefs.

Opposites

survival

Word family

martyr noun
a person who dies or suffers for their beliefs
martyr verb
to kill someone because of their beliefs
martyred adjective
killed or made to suffer for beliefs
martyrology noun
a list or study of martyrs

Commonly confused: martyrdom or matrimony?

martyrdom vs matrimony

Matrimony means marriage, and only looks a little like martyrdom in writing.

Practice

The saint accepted ___ rather than renounce her faith.

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