martyr

English

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”).

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/, [ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)], [ˈmɐːɾə(ɹ)]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɹ.tɚ/, [ˈmɑɹ.ɾɚ]
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mar‧tyr

Noun

martyr (plural martyrs)

1. One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom.

   Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

2. (by extension) One who sacrifices their life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
3. (with a prepositional phrase of cause) One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily.

   Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.

   • 1937, AJ Cronin, The Citadel:

     He'd been a martyr to asthma all his life.

Antonyms

• apostate
• confessor

Hyponyms

• shaheed, shahid (a martyr for Islam)

Derived terms

• great martyr
• martyr complex
• martyrdom
• martyress
• martyrial
• martyrish
• martyrizate
• martyrize
• martyrizer
• martyrless
• martyrly
• martyrolatry
• martyrship
• metric martyr
• pro-martyr

 

Related terms

• martyrdom
• martyrion
• martyrium
• martyrologe
• martyrologue
• martyrology
• martyry
• protomartyr

 

Translations

one willing to be killed for religion

• Albanian: dëshmor (sq) m
• Arabic: شَهِيد‎ (ar) m (šahīd), شَهِيدَة‎ f (šahīda) (plural: شُهَدَاء‎ m pl (šuhadāʔ))
• Aramaic: ܣܗܕܐ‎ (sahdah)
• Armenian: մարտիրոս (hy) (martiros), նահատակ (hy) (nahatak), վկա (hy) (vka)
• Azerbaijani: şəhid (az)
• Bashkir: шаһит (şahet)
• Belarusian: паку́тнік m (pakútnik), паку́тніца f (pakútnica), му́чальнік m (múčalʹnik), му́чальніца f (múčalʹnica), му́чанік m (múčanik), му́чаніца f (múčanica)
• Bengali: শহীদ (śohid)
• Bulgarian: мъчени́к (bg) m (mǎčeník), мъчени́чка f (mǎčeníčka)
• Catalan: màrtir (ca) m or f
• Chechen: ӏазапхо (ˀazapxo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 烈士 (zh) (lièshì), 殉道者 (xùndàozhě)

• Czech: mučedník (cs) m, mučednice f
• Danish: martyr (da) c
• Dutch: martelaar (nl) m, martelares (nl) f
• Erzya: майсиця (majśića)
• Esperanto: martiro
• Estonian: märter
• Finnish: marttyyri (fi), shahid
• French: martyr (fr) m, martyre (fr) f, chahîd m, chahid m
• Galician: mártir m or f
• Georgian: წამებული (c̣amebuli), მოწამე (moc̣ame), მარტვილი (ka) (marṭvili)
• German: Märtyrer (de) m, Märtyrerin (de) f
• Greek: μάρτυρας (el) m or f (mártyras)
• Hebrew: קָדֹושׁ‎ (he) m (kadósh) (explicitly Israelite or Jewish), מַרְטִיר‎ m (martír) (especially Christian), שָׁהִיד‎ (he) m (shahíd) (esp. Islamic), קָדֹושׁ מְעֻנֶּה‎ m (kadósh me'uné)
• Hindi: शहीद (hi) m (śahīd), शहीदा f (śahīdā)
• Hungarian: mártír (hu), vértanú (hu)
• Icelandic: píslarvottur m
• Indonesian: syahid (id), martir (id)
• Irish: mairtíreach m
• Italian: martire (it) m
• Japanese: 殉教者 (ja) (じゅんきょうしゃ, junkyōsha), シャヒード (shahīdo)
• Kazakh: шаһит (şahit), шейіт (şeiıt)
• Korean: 순교자 (sun'gyoja), 샤히드 (syahideu)
• Kumyk: шагьит (şahit)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: şehîd (ku)

• Macedonian: маченик m (mačenik), маченичка f (mačenička)
• Malay: syahid (ms), martir (ms)
• Malayalam: രക്തസാക്ഷി (ml) (raktasākṣi)
• Maori: matira
• Norman: martyr m
• Norwegian: martyr (no) m
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: мѫченикъ m (mǫčenikŭ)

• Ottoman Turkish: شهید‎
• Pashto: شهيد‎ (ps) m (šahíd)
• Persian: شهید‎ (fa) (šahid)
• Polish: męczennik (pl) m, męczennica (pl) f
• Portuguese: mártir (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਸ਼ਹੀਦ (pa) (śahīd)
• Romanian: mucenic (ro) m, muceniță (ro) f
• Russian: му́ченик (ru) m (múčenik), му́ченица (ru) f (múčenica), шахи́д (ru) m (šaxíd), шахи́дка (ru) f (šaxídka)
• Scottish Gaelic: martair m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: мученик m, шехид m (Islam)

  Roman: mučenik (sh) m, šehid m (Islam)

• Slovak: mučeník m, mučeníčka f, martýr m, martýrka f
• Slovene: mučenik m, mučenica f
• Spanish: mártir (es) m
• Swedish: martyr (sv) c
• Tajik: шаҳид (šahid)
• Tatar: шаһит (tt) (şahit)
• Thai: มรณสักขี (th)
• Turkish: şehit (tr), gazi (tr), şehitler pl, gaziler pl, mücahit (tr), mücahid (tr)
• Turkmen: şahit
• Ukrainian: му́ченик m (múčenyk), му́чениця f (múčenycja)
• Urdu: شہید‎ m (šahīd)
• Uyghur: شاھىت‎ (shahit)
• Uzbek: shahid (uz)
• Volapük: (♂♀) martüran (vo), (♂) himartüran (vo), (♀) jimartüran (vo)
• Welsh: merthyr (cy) m
• Zazaki: şehid

one who sacrifices their life for an important cause

• Armenian: նահատակ (hy) (nahatak)
• Catalan: màrtir (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 烈士 (zh) (lièshì)

• Danish: martyr (da) c
• Dutch: martelaar (nl) m
• Estonian: märter
• Finnish: marttyyri (fi)
• French: martyr (fr) m
• Greek: μάρτυρας (el) m or f (mártyras)
• Hindi: शहीद (hi) m (śahīd)
• Hungarian: mártír (hu), vértanú (hu)
• Italian: martire (it) m
• Japanese: 殉教者 (ja) (じゅんきょうしゃ, junkyōsha)
• Malayalam: രക്തസാക്ഷി (ml) (raktasākṣi)
• Norwegian: martyr (no) m
• Persian: شهید‎ (fa) (šahid)
• Polish: cierpiętnik (pl) m, cierpiętnica (pl) f, męczennik (pl) m, męczennica (pl) f
• Portuguese: mártir (pt) m
• Romanian: martir (ro)
• Russian: му́ченик (ru) m (múčenik), му́ченица (ru) f (múčenica)
• Scottish Gaelic: martair m
• Serbo-Croatian: мученик m, mučenik (sh) m
• Spanish: mártir (es) m
• Swedish: martyr (sv) c
• Turkish: şehit (tr)
• Welsh: merthyr (cy) m

one who suffers greatly, even involuntarily

• Catalan: màrtir (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 受難者／受难者 (zh) (shòunànzhě)

• Danish: martyr (da) c
• Dutch: martelaar (nl) m
• Estonian: märter
• Finnish: uhri (fi)
• French: martyr (fr) m
• Greek: μάρτυρας (el) m or f (mártyras)
• Hungarian: mártír (hu)
• Italian: martire (it)
• Japanese: 受難者 (junansha)
• Malayalam: രക്തസാക്ഷി (ml) (raktasākṣi)
• Norwegian: martyr (no) m
• Portuguese: mártir (pt) m
• Russian: му́ченик (ru) m (múčenik), му́ченица (ru) f (múčenica), страда́лец (ru) m (stradálec), страда́лица (ru) f (stradálica)
• Scottish Gaelic: martair m
• Spanish: mártir (es) m
• Swedish: martyr (sv) c
• Turkish: mücahit (tr), mücahitler pl

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} martyr (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} martyre (fr) f
• German: ^{(please verify)} Märtyrer (de) m
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} martyr
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 순교자(殉敎者) (sun'gyoja)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} şehîd (ku)

• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} martyr (no) m
• Persian: ^{(please verify)} شهید‎ (fa) (šahid)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} мученик m

  Roman: ^{(please verify)} mučenik (sh) m

• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} mučenik (sh) m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} mučenik (sh) m, ^{(please verify)} šehit (sh) m
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} martyr (sv)
• Urdu: ^{(please verify)} شہید‎ m (šahīd)
• Volapük: ^{(please verify)} martüran (vo)

Verb

martyr (third-person singular simple present martyrs, present participle martyring, simple past and past participle martyred)

1. (transitive) To make someone into a martyr by putting them to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
2. (transitive) To persecute.

   Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.

3. (transitive) To torment; to torture.
   • c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you.
     This one hand yet is left to cut your throats,
     Whiles that Lavinia ’tween her stumps doth hold
     The basin that receives your guilty blood.

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IIII, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 2, page 94:

     […] The louely Amoret, whoſe gentle hart
     Thou martyreſt with ſorow and with ſmart, […]

Synonyms

• martyrize

Derived terms

• martyrer

Translations

to make someone a martyr

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 使殉难, 处死 (zh) (chǔsǐ)

• Finnish: tehdä (jostakin) marttyyri
• French: martyriser (fr)
• Hindi: शहीद करना (śahīd karnā), क़ुरबान करना (qurbān karnā)
• Malayalam: രക്തസാക്ഷിയാക്കുക (raktasākṣiyākkuka)
• Polish: zadać męczeńską śmierć
• Portuguese: martirizar (pt)
• Romanian: martiriza (ro)
• Spanish: martirizar (es)

persecute — see persecute

torture — see torture

Danish

Etymology

From Old Danish martir. Borrowed via Ecclesiastical Latin martyr from Ancient Greek μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɑːˌtˢyɐ̯ˀ]

Noun

martyr c (singular definite martyren, plural indefinite martyrer)

1. martyr

Declension

Declension of martyr

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	martyr	martyren	martyrer	martyrerne
genitive	martyrs	martyrens	martyrers	martyrernes

References

• “martyr” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French martire, borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maʁ.tiʁ/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

martyr m (plural martyrs, feminine martyre)

1. martyr

Related terms

• martyre

Further reading

• “martyr”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmar.tyr/, [ˈmärt̪ʏr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmar.tir/, [ˈmärt̪ir]

Noun

martyr m or f (genitive martyris); third declension

1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) martyr, especially a Christian martyr

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	martyr	martyrēs
Genitive	martyris	martyrum
Dative	martyrī	martyribus
Accusative	martyrem	martyrēs
Ablative	martyre	martyribus
Vocative	martyr	martyrēs

Related terms

• martyrium

Descendants

• → Proto-Brythonic: *merθɨr (see there for further descendants)
• → Danish: martyr
• → Dutch: martelaar
• → Estonian: märter
• → Finnish: marttyyri
• → Old French: martire
  • French: martyr
  • → Middle English: martir
    • Scots: mairtyr
    • English: martyr
      • → Maori: matira
  • Norman: martyr
• → German: Märtyrer
• → Hungarian: mártír
• → Old Irish: martar
• Old Italian: martore
• → Italian: martire
• Lombard: màrtul
• Neapolitan: marture
• → Norwegian: martyr
• → Old Occitan:
  • Catalan: màrtir
  • Occitan: martir
• → Old Galician-Portuguese:
  • Galician: mártir
  • Portuguese: mártir
• Romanian: martor
• Sardinian: màrturu
• Sicilian: màrtiri
• → Scottish Gaelic: martair
• → Spanish: mártir
  • → Tagalog: martir
• → Swedish: martyr

References

• “martyr”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• martyr in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Norman

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Noun

martyr m (plural martyrs)

1. (religion) martyr

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Noun

martyr m (definite singular martyren, indefinite plural martyrer, definite plural martyrene)

1. martyr

Related terms

• martre
• martyrdød
• martyrium

References

• “martyr” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Noun

martyr m (definite singular martyren, indefinite plural martyrar, definite plural martyrane)

1. martyr

Related terms

• martyrdød
• martyrium

References

• “martyr” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

• martyre, martir

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Noun

martyr m

1. martyr

Declension

Declension of martyr (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	martyr	martyras
accusative	martyr	martyras
genitive	martyres	martyra
dative	martyre	martyrum

Derived terms

• martyrcynn
• martyrdōm
• martyrhād
• martyrian
• martyrracu
• martyrung

 

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898), “martyr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -yːr

Noun

martyr c

1. martyr

Declension

Declension of martyr
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	martyr	martyren	martyrer	martyrerna
Genitive	martyrs	martyrens	martyrers	martyrernas

Related terms

• martyrskap