Dictionary

martyrdom en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɑː(ɹ).tə(ɹ).dəm/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English martyrdome, martirdom, marterdom, from Old English martyrdōm (“martyrdom”), corresponding to martyr + -dom. Cognate with German Märtyrertum (“martyrdom”), Danish martyrdom (“martyrdom”), Swedish martyrdom (“martyrdom”), Norwegian martyrdom (“martyrdom”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The condition of a martyr; the death or suffering of a martyr; the death or suffering on account of adherence to the Christian faith, or to any cause.
   • “Regard not that, my brother,” answered Magdalen Græme; “the first successors of Saint Peter himself, were elected not in sunshine but in tempests—not in the halls of the Vatican, but in the subterranean vaults and dungeons of Heathen Rome—they were not gratulated with shouts and salvos of cannon-shot and of musquetry, and the display of artificial fire—no, my brother—but by the hoarse summons of Lictors and Prætors, who came to drag the Fathers of the Church to martyrdom.[…]” 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in The Abbot. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 276:
   • The Communists wanted to go on and on, suffering a comfortable martyrdom, meeting with endless defeats and afterwards putting the blame on other people. 1941, George Orwell, The Lion and the Unicorn, Pt. III:
   • The ceiling had been painted with the martyrdom of some saint. Who shall place a bound to human folly, when both the inflicter and the endurer of torture have deemed that pain is acceptable in the sight of God? 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Age and Youth”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 11:
   • The like clamour, and outcry, the Rabble of the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles made againſt Polycarp Biſhop of Smyrna, at the time of his Martyrdom. crying out againſt him to the Governour, that he ſhould caſt him to the Lyons, and when he anſwered them he could not, becauſe the Spectacular ſports were concluded, then they cry’d out, Burn him, burn him, juſt as the Jews cryed out againſt Chriſt to Pilate, Crucify him, crucify him. 1681, George Hickes, A Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London:
2. (countable, uncountable) Extreme suffering, affliction; torment; torture, especially without reason.

Forms

Deriveds

martyrdom video · green martyrdom · pseudomartyrdom · white martyrdom · red martyrdom · blue martyrdom

Translations (63)

sl mučeništvo (condition of a martyr) · ro martiriu (condition of a martyr) · ml ആത്മത്യാഗം (condition of a martyr) · fi marttyyrius (great suffering) · ko 순교 (condition of a martyr) · pl męka (great suffering) · ru му́ка (great suffering) · pa ਸ਼ਹਾਦਤ (condition of a martyr) · vo matür (condition of a martyr) · sk mučeníctvo (condition of a martyr) · fa-ira شَهادَت (condition of a martyr) · tr şehitlik (condition of a martyr) · cmn 殉難 /殉难 (condition of a martyr) · el μαρτύριο (great suffering) · bg мъчени́чество (condition of a martyr) · pl męczeństwo (condition of a martyr) · sh му̏ченӣштво (condition of a martyr) · cmn 痛苦 (great suffering) · ka მოწამეობა (condition of a martyr) · ml വീരമൃത്യു (condition of a martyr) · cmn 殉教 (condition of a martyr) · fr martyre (condition of a martyr) · cs mučení (great suffering) · ca martiri (condition of a martyr) · gd martarachd (condition of a martyr) · ca martiri (great suffering) · be му́чаніцтва (condition of a martyr) · hu mártíromság (condition of a martyr) · hi शहीदी (condition of a martyr) · fr martyre (great suffering) · sh mȕčenīštvo (condition of a martyr) · ur شَہادَت (condition of a martyr) · cmn 受苦 (great suffering) · cmn 殉道 (condition of a martyr) · be паку́тніцтва (condition of a martyr) · ru му́ченичество (condition of a martyr) · mk мачеништво (condition of a martyr) · cs mučednictví (condition of a martyr) · vo martür (condition of a martyr) · ml രക്തസാക്ഷിത്വം (condition of a martyr) · de Märtyrertod (condition of a martyr) · uk му́чеництво (condition of a martyr) · ar شَهَادَة (condition of a martyr) · hi शहादत (condition of a martyr) · sv martyrskap (condition of a martyr) · hi कुरबानी (condition of a martyr) · ja 殉教 (condition of a martyr) · id kemartiran (condition of a martyr) · hi वीरगति (condition of a martyr) · hu vértanúság (condition of a martyr) · gd martarachd (great suffering) · es martirio (great suffering) · ota شهادت (condition of a martyr) · az şəhidlik (condition of a martyr) · uz shahodat (condition of a martyr) · fi marttyyrius (condition of a martyr) · cmn 折磨 (great suffering) · tg шаҳодат (condition of a martyr) · es martirio (condition of a martyr) · pa شَہَادَت (condition of a martyr) · mi matiratanga (condition of a martyr) · el μαρτύριο (condition of a martyr) · tr şehadet (condition of a martyr)