martyrdom
/ˈmɑːtədəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːrtərdəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmär-tər-dəm/ (ame, mw)
martyrdom — noun
1. the act of being killed or made to suffer severely because you refuse to give up
the act of being killed or made to suffer severely because you refuse to give up your faith, political views, or moral principles
Kwame's grandfather died a martyrdom for advocating peaceful protest against the regime.
martyrdom + for + [cause/action]
The early Christian church honored those who faced martyrdom rather than renounce their beliefs.
face martyrdom — collocation for confronting death
Many people throughout history have chosen martyrdom over life under an oppressive system.
Fatima wrote a book about women who achieved martyrdom while fighting for education rights in their country.
- sacrifice
broader — any giving up of something valued, not necessarily one's life
- self-sacrifice
emphasizes voluntary giving up of one's own interests or life
- immolation
more formal and dramatic; often literal self-burning
- apostasy
the act of abandoning one's faith or principles — the opposite of dying for them
文法句型
martyrdom + for + [belief/cause]
用法筆記
Often used in historical or religious contexts. Can be used as both countable ('a martyrdom') and uncountable ('the threat of martyrdom') — the countable form emphasizes one specific event.
常見錯誤
2. a long period of great hardship, anguish, or torment, especially one that feels
a long period of great hardship, anguish, or torment, especially one that feels unfairly imposed
Theo described his years in the refugee camp as a martyrdom he would never wish upon anyone.
describe [experience] as a martyrdom — simile pattern
Elena endured the martyrdom of caring for her ailing mother day and night for three years.
endure a/the martyrdom of + [difficult situation]
The newspaper called the miners' slow rescue a martyrdom that captured the whole nation's attention.
Living with a rare disease that doctors could not diagnose became a daily martyrdom for Arun and his family.
- ordeal
neutral — a difficult experience, without the religious or moral dimension
- torment
emphasizes mental or physical agony more than duration
- tribulation
formal and often biblical; a serious difficulty or hardship
文法句型
martyrdom + of + [prolonged experience]
用法筆記
This sense is metaphorical — it extends the religious concept of martyrdom to any prolonged ordeal. It is more common in literary or journalistic writing than in everyday speech.