sacrifice
[noun]
Synonyms:
- surrender, loss, renunciation
- offering, oblation
[verb]
Synonyms:
- give up, forego, forfeit, let go, lose, say goodbye to, surrender
- offer, immolate, offer up

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Related Idioms: kiss good-bye, part with
Related Words: burnt offering, oblation, sacrification, hecatomb, sin offering, offer (up), consecrate, dedicate, devote, donate, give, yield, cede

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sac‧ri‧fice¹ /ˈsækrəfaɪs, ˈsækrɪfaɪs/ noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin sacrificium, from sacer ( ⇒ sacred) + facere 'to make']

1. [uncountable and countable] when you decide not to have something valuable, in order to get something that is more important:
The minister stressed the need for economic sacrifice.
The workforce were willing to make sacrifices in order to preserve jobs.
She brought three children up single-handedly, often at great personal sacrifice.

2.
a) [uncountable and countable] the act of offering something to a god, especially in the past, by killing an animal or person in a religious ceremony:
They made sacrifices to ensure a good harvest.
b) [countable] an animal, person, or object offered to a god in sacrifice
sacrifice to
In those days, an animal was offered as a sacrifice to God.
a human sacrifice (=a person killed as a sacrifice)

3. literary the final/supreme/ultimate sacrifice the act of dying while you are fighting for a principle or in order to help other people:
Captain Oates made the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to save his colleagues.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sacrifice² verb

1. [transitive] to willingly stop having something you want or doing something you like in order to get something more important
sacrifice something for something
A Labour government chose to sacrifice defence for welfare.
sacrifice something to do something
He sacrificed a promising career to look after his kids.
sacrifice yourself (for something)
mothers who sacrifice themselves for their children

REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say give up rather than sacrifice:
He gave up a promising career to look after his kids.

2. [intransitive and transitive] to kill an animal or person and offer them to a god in a religious ceremony

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

sacrifice
noun
I. giving sth up
ADJ. considerable, enormous, great, heavy, real | financial, personal | heroic | supreme, ultimate Soldiers who die for their country have made the supreme sacrifice.
VERB + SACRIFICE make

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sacrifice
II. part of a ceremony
ADJ. animal, human | religious, ritual | blood | pagan
VERB + SACRIFICE perform | offer (sth as)
PREP. ~ to Food and wine were offered as sacrifices to the gods.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sacrifice
verb
VERB + SACRIFICE be obliged to, have to | be prepared to, be willing to She was prepared to sacrifice having a family in order to pursue her career.
PREP. for soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country
PHRASES sacrifice sth for the sake of sth Comfort has been sacrificed for the sake of improved performance.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲