Martyr

Definition of Martyr

Mar´tyr
n.1.
1.One who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel; one who is put to death for his religion; as, Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
To be a martyr, signifies only to witness the truth of Christ; but the witnessing of the truth was then so generally attended with persecution, that martyrdom now signifies not only to witness, but to witness by death.
- South.
2.Hence, one who sacrifices his life, his station, or what is of great value to him, for the sake of principle, or to sustain a cause.
Then if thou fall'st, O Cromwell,
Thou fall'st a blessed martyr !
- Shak.
v. t.1.To put to death for adhering to some belief, esp. Christianity; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
[imp. & p. p. Martyred ; p. pr. & vb. n. Martyring.]
2.To persecute; to torment; to torture.
The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart
Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart.
- Spenser.
Racked with sciatics, martyred with the stone.
- Pope.

Related Words

afflict, agonize, ail, angel, angel of light, angel of love, annihilate, archangel, beatified soul, bereave of life, bite, bloody, burn, canonized mortal, carry away, carry off, celestial, chafe, cherub, cherubim, chloroform, claw, convulse, crucify, cut, cut down, cut off, deprive of life, destroy, dispatch, dispose of, distress, do away with, do for, do to death, end, excruciate, execute, exterminate, fester, finish, finish off, fret, gall, give pain, gnaw, grate, grind, gripe, harrow, heavenly being, hurt, immolate, impale, inflame, inflict pain, irritate, kill, kill by inches, lacerate, lancinate, launch into eternity, liquidate, lynch, macerate, make away with, martyrize, messenger of God, nip, object of compassion, pain, patron saint, pierce, pinch, poison, poor devil, prey, prick, principality, prolong the agony, punish, purge, put away, put down, put to death, put to sleep, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, recording angel, remove from life, rip, rub, sacrifice, saint, savage, saved soul, scarify, seraph, seraphim, slay, soul in glory, stab, starve, sting, take life, take off, torture, try, tweak, twist, wound, wretch, wring
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