From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmartyrmar‧tyr1 /ˈmɑːtə $ ˈmɑːrtər/ ●○○ noun [countable] 1 RRDIEsomeone who dies for their religious or political beliefs and is admired by people for this St Stephen, the first Christian martyrmartyr 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 SUFFERsomeone 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
Examples from the Corpus
martyr• His martyrdom encouraged the people to resist.• Don't be a martyr - ask for help if you need it.• Becoming a martyr in most business environments is a good way to damage your career progress permanently.• His death in police hands made him a martyr among the people.• It sounds to me like she has a little bit of a martyr mentality.• After assisting in the burial of a martyr, this newly baptized soldier was taken before the emperor.• If there is no other career on offer, that of a martyr might have to do for the young men.• It seems my prisoners - the unfortunate woman's relatives - are in some quarters regarded as martyrs.• The early Christian martyrs were killed by the thousands.• The problem is to address this kind of thing without vilifying one group and making martyrs of another.• Maddy and Patrick are no martyrs, however.• Four little girls involuntarily became civil rights martyrs.• We all like to play the martyr sometimes.make martyrs of• The problem is to address this kind of thing without vilifying one group and making martyrs of another.• They made martyrs of themselves occasionally - a sorely missed commodity.martyrmartyr2 verb [transitive] RRDIEif 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.Grammar Martyr is usually passive.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
martyr• And then?... martyred.• Her eyes were half-closed, her expression martyred.• James was beheaded in Jerusalem, the first apostle to be martyred.• Undoubtedly, life would have been simpler had Emilio been safely martyred.• Blaise was martyred during Lininius' persecutions.• He was martyred in Alexandria by means of strangulation.• He was martyred when thrown from a temple, then stoned to death.• He was appointed bishop shortly before he was martyred while saying mass.Origin martyr1 (800-900) Late Latin Greek martys “witness” 