martyr
[verb]
Synonyms: afflict, agonize, crucify, excruciate, harrow, rack, torment, torture, try, wring

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. mar‧tyr¹ /ˈmɑːtə $ ˈmɑːrtər/ noun [countable]
[Date: 800-900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek martys 'witness']

1. someone who dies for their religious or political beliefs and is admired by people for this:
St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr
martyr to
He was a martyr to the cause of racial harmony.
The army has been held back because the government is reluctant to make martyrs of the protesters.

2. someone who tries hard to get other people’s sympathy by complaining about how hard their life is – used to show disapproval:
I think she rather relishes the role of martyr.

3. be a martyr to something British English spoken to suffer a lot because of an illness, problem, or bad situation:
She’s a martyr to her arthritis.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. martyr² verb [transitive usually passive]
if someone is martyred, they are killed because of their religious beliefs:
Becket was martyred in 1170.
be martyred for something
Catherine was martyred for her faith.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

martyr
noun
I. sb who is killed/suffers for what they believe
ADJ. early | Christian
VERB + MARTYR make sb Killing him would only make him a martyr.
PREP. ~ to a martyr to the cause
PHRASES a martyr's death

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

martyr
II. sb who tries to gain sympathy
VERB + MARTYR play Stop playing the martyr.
PHRASES make a martyr of yourself

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲