martyr
mar·tyr/ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/noun, verb
martyr is spelled M-A-R-T-Y-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (mar·tyr). It appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, martyr means “One who willingly accepts being put to death or willingly accepts challenging and exposing iniquity done to oneself for adhering openly to one's…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of martyr is martyrs.
How many letters and syllables are in martyr?
| Letters | 6: M-A-R-T-Y-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: mar·tyr |
| In writing | 2.9 times per million words; the 15,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is martyr?
Martyr appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce martyr?
- Australia /ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)/
- Australia [ˈmɐːtə(ɹ)]
- Australia [ˈmɐːɾə(ɹ)]
Martyr has 2 syllables, split mar·tyr in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-martyr.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-martyr.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of martyr
- martyrs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- martyring participle, present
- martyred participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does martyr mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One who willingly accepts being put to death or willingly accepts challenging and exposing iniquity done to oneself for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after red martyrdom.
The apostle Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
- 2
One who sacrifices their life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
- 3
One who suffers greatly or constantly, even involuntarily.
Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris is a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.
- 4
derogatorySomeone who exaggerates their pain and suffering in order to gain sympathy.
You have a great life! Stop trying to play the martyr!
verb
- 1
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
To persecute.
Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.
- 3
To torment; to torture.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Martyr in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | martyr, martyre, chahîd, chahid , martyriser |
| German | Märtyrer, Märtyrerin |
| Portuguese | mártir , martirizar |
| Spanish | mártir , martirizar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does martyr come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).