martyr
gb/mˈɑɹtɚ/ us/mˈɑɹtɚ/
B2
English
~ 8700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person killed for their beliefs
Someone who is killed because of what they believe, and many people respect them for it.
Usage pattern:
a martyr for/to [cause or belief]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "martyr" with "murderer". A "martyr" is the person who is killed for their beliefs; a "murderer" is the person who kills someone. Also, "martyr" is not used for every victim of violence, but mainly when strong beliefs or a cause are involved.
Synonyms
victim (focuses on the person who is harmed, without the idea of honor or beliefs, so it is more general and less heroic.)
|
hero (suggests courage and admiration but does not necessarily mean the person was killed for their beliefs.)
Antonyms
persecutor (the person or group that harms or kills someone for their beliefs, the opposite social role of a martyr.)
|
oppressor (someone who uses power to harm or control others rather than suffering or dying for a belief.)
Collocations
religious martyr
|political martyr
|martyr for the cause
|martyr to the faith
|die a martyr
|make a martyr of [someone]
Themes
religion
|politics
|history
|conflict
Examples
- The activist was hailed as a martyr for free speech after he was executed by the regime.
- In many traditions, a martyr is honored with a special day of remembrance.
- They feared that imprisoning her would turn her into a martyr for the movement.
- The young priest became a martyr to his faith when he refused to deny his religion.
- Statues of national martyrs stand in the center of the capital.
Learner examples
- He became a martyr for his religion when he was killed.
- The story tells how the woman died a martyr for peace.
- Some people see him as a martyr, but others do not agree.
- The country has a monument to its war martyrs.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
person who plays the victim
Someone who likes to show how much they suffer or work, so that other people feel sorry or feel bad, often more than is real or needed.
Usage pattern:
[someone] plays the martyr / is such a martyr
Common mistake:
Learners often think this use of "martyr" is positive, like the religious or political sense. In everyday speech, calling someone "a martyr" or saying they "play the martyr" is usually critical or disapproving.
Synonyms
drama queen (informal and often stronger; suggests very emotional and exaggerated behavior in general, not only about suffering for others.)
|
self-pitying victim (describes someone who feels sorry for themselves; does not always include the idea of showing extra effort or sacrifice for others.)
Antonyms
stoic (someone who hides their pain and does not complain, the opposite attitude of someone who "plays the martyr".)
Collocations
play the martyr
|stop being a martyr
|act like a martyr
|such a martyr
|self-made martyr
Themes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
Examples
- Stop being such a martyr and just ask for help when you need it.
- He stayed late at the office again, then played the martyr about how tired he was.
- She loves to be a martyr about all the things she does for her friends.
- Don't turn this into a chance to be a martyr; we all chose to work on this project.
- He has a real martyr streak, always reminding everyone how much he sacrifices.
Learner examples
- She works late and then acts like a martyr.
- He is always a martyr about his job and never stops talking about it.
- My friend told me, "Don't be a martyr. Just say you are tired."
- He plays the martyr when he does one small favor for us.
Noun
C1
entity
3
person suffering for a cause
Someone who suffers a lot or gives up many things for a belief, a goal, or for other people.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a martyr for [cause or principle]
Common mistake:
Learners may think a martyr in this sense must always die, but in modern use it can also describe someone who suffers or sacrifices heavily without dying.
Synonyms
sacrificial victim (focuses more strongly on being given up or used for a purpose; often sounds more formal or dramatic.)
|
hero (suggests courage and sacrifice for others but does not necessarily imply long-term suffering.)
Antonyms
opportunist (someone who avoids sacrifice and uses situations for personal gain, the opposite of a self‑sacrificing martyr.)
Collocations
martyr for justice
|martyr for civil rights
|martyr for the cause
|willing martyr
|martyr to a cause
Themes
politics
|society
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many see her as a martyr for women's rights because of the years she spent in prison.
- The lawyer became a martyr for environmental causes after losing his career over the case.
- He was remembered as a quiet martyr for the poor, giving away most of his salary.
- They treated him as a martyr for academic freedom, even though he never spent a day in jail.
- History books often turn ordinary activists into martyrs for the nation.
Learner examples
- Some people call him a martyr for peace because he gave up his freedom for it.
- She became a martyr for education and worked in poor villages for many years.
- He is almost a martyr for his family, always working and never resting.
- They saw her as a martyr for animal rights.
Noun
C1
entity
4
person suffering from a condition
Someone who often has a lot of pain or trouble from one thing, such as an illness, work, or a habit.
Usage pattern:
a martyr to [illness, problem, or duty]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to say *"martyr of" instead of the fixed pattern "martyr to" (e.g. "a martyr to arthritis"). The usual preposition in this expression is "to".
Synonyms
sufferer (neutral word for someone who has an illness or problem; it does not carry the same old‑fashioned or slightly dramatic tone as "martyr to".)
|
long-term patient (emphasizes having a medical condition over time, without the emotional color of "martyr".)
Antonyms
healthy person (someone without ongoing illness or suffering, the opposite of being "a martyr to" an illness.)
Collocations
martyr to arthritis
|martyr to headaches
|martyr to duty
|martyr to his work
|martyr to her nerves
Themes
health
|daily_life
|body
Examples
- He's a martyr to arthritis and can hardly walk some days.
- She's always been a martyr to migraines since her teens.
- My father was a martyr to his work, rarely taking a day off.
- She's a martyr to her sense of duty and never says no to extra tasks.
- By fifty, he was already a martyr to back pain.
Learner examples
- My grandmother is a martyr to back pain.
- He is a martyr to his job and works every weekend.
- She is a martyr to headaches and often has to lie down.
- My uncle was a martyr to his bad habits.
Verb
C1
action
5
kill for beliefs or cause
To kill someone because of what they believe, so people see that person as a martyr.
Usage pattern:
[group/person] martyrs [someone] for [belief or cause]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the verb "martyr" with the noun and say *"they martyr" when they mean "they are martyrs". As a verb, it needs an object or passive form, e.g. "They martyred him" or "He was martyred".
Synonyms
execute (a more legal or official word for killing someone as a punishment; it does not itself include the idea of honor or belief, but often overlaps in context.)
|
kill (very general and neutral; lacks the specific reason of beliefs or cause that "martyr" includes.)
Antonyms
spare (to choose not to kill someone, the opposite action of martyring them.)
|
protect (to keep someone safe from harm or death, again the opposite of martyring.)
Collocations
be martyred for the faith
|martyred leader
|martyred saint
|martyred for his beliefs
|martyred for the cause
Themes
religion
|politics
|conflict
Examples
- The regime martyred hundreds of dissidents for speaking out.
- According to legend, the king was martyred for refusing to abandon his faith.
- Several activists were martyred for the cause of independence.
- She was martyred for her beliefs and later declared a saint.
- The film shows how the young teacher was martyred by extremists.
Learner examples
- He was martyred for his religion after a public trial.
- Many people were martyred for speaking the truth.
- The leader was martyred for his political ideas.
- They were martyred for the cause of freedom.
Verb
informal
C1
action
6
over-sacrifice or play victim yourself
To choose to suffer too much for other people or for work, and to show this so people feel sorry for you or think you are very good.
Usage pattern:
[someone] martyrs themself/themselves for [someone or something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the reflexive incorrectly, saying *"martyr for" instead of "martyr yourself for". In this sense, the verb normally takes a reflexive pronoun: "martyr myself/yourself/himself/herself/themselves".
Synonyms
over-sacrifice yourself (describes giving too much of yourself; it does not always include the idea of looking for sympathy.)
|
self-sabotage (suggests hurting your own interests; may not focus on doing it for others or showing suffering.)
Antonyms
put yourself first (to care for your own needs instead of suffering for others, the opposite attitude of martyring yourself.)
Collocations
martyr yourself for your family
|martyr herself to her job
|always martyrs himself for others
|martyr yourself over nothing
Themes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
Examples
- She martyrs herself for her children and never takes a break.
- Don't martyr yourself for a company that doesn't value you.
- He loves to martyr himself for his friends and then remind them what he did.
- You don't have to martyr yourself over every small mistake.
- They warned her not to martyr herself to the project.
Learner examples
- She martyrs herself for her family and never rests.
- He always martyrs himself for his job.
- Don't martyr yourself for people who do not care.
- You should not martyr yourself just to look good.
Grammar
Dictionary form
martyr
IPA
GB/mˈɑɹtɚ/
US/mˈɑɹtɚ/
Syllables & stress
mar - tyr (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mar)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: martyr
- Plural: martyrs
Verb
- Base: martyr
- 3rd Person Singular: martyrs
- Present Participle: martyring
- Past: martyred
Word family
Forms
martyrs
noun
martyring
verb
martyred
verb
Core family
martyrdom
noun C1
Expressions
a martyr to something
1/ə mˈɑɹtɚ tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
person who often suffers from something
Used to say that someone suffers a lot again and again because of one thing, such as an illness, work, or a habit (for example, "a martyr to arthritis").
Examples
- He's a martyr to allergies every spring.
- She's a martyr to her job and never takes holidays.
- My uncle was a martyr to his nerves for years.
be martyred for one's beliefs
1/bˈi mˈɑɹtɚd fɚ wˈʌnz bɪlˈifs/
fixed phrase
be killed because of beliefs
To be killed because of what you believe, usually used in the passive form with "for" plus the belief or cause.
Examples
- She was martyred for her beliefs during the revolution.
- Thousands were martyred for their religious beliefs in that period.
- He was martyred for his political beliefs and later honored as a hero.
die a martyr
1/dˈaɪ ə mˈɑɹtɚ/
fixed phrase
be killed for a belief or cause
To be killed because of your beliefs or a cause, so that people see you as a martyr.
Examples
- He died a martyr for religious freedom.
- They said she died a martyr rather than deny her faith.
- Many soldiers in the story die martyrs for their homeland.
make a martyr of someone
1/mˈeɪk ə mˈɑɹtɚ əv sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
create a martyr by harsh treatment
To punish or attack someone so much that other people see that person as a brave martyr, which often gives their ideas more power.
Examples
- If they arrest her, they'll only make a martyr of her.
- The government feared that executing the leader would make a martyr of him.
- Jailing the protesters made martyrs of them in the eyes of the public.
martyr complex
1/mˈɑɹtɚ kˈɑmplɛks/
fixed phrase
habit of acting like a martyr
A way of thinking where a person often feels or acts like a martyr, suffering or giving too much for others and wanting sympathy or praise.
Examples
- He has a real martyr complex and refuses to let anyone help him.
- Her martyr complex makes relationships very difficult.
- Therapy helped her understand how her martyr complex was hurting her family.
play the martyr
1/plˈeɪ ðə mˈɑɹtɚ/
idiom
informal
act as if suffering for praise
To act like you suffer a lot or do a lot for others, so that people will feel sorry for you or think you are very good.
Examples
- He's always playing the martyr about how much he works.
- Stop playing the martyr and just tell us what you really want.
- She played the martyr after cooking dinner, sighing loudly about how tired she was.