martyrdom
/ˈmɑːtədəm
/noun [mass noun]
1The death or suffering of a martyr: the martyrdom of St Anthony...
- The persecutions and martyrdoms seemed to have solidified the believers' faith.
- Reports of martyrdoms steeled resistance to persecution and were the source of encouragement to persevere.
- The missionary Jesuit order developed a speciality in clinical depictions of torturous martyrdoms.
Synonyms
death, suffering, torture, torment, agony, persecution, ordeal, anguish;
killing, putting to death, martyrization, sacrifice, crucifixion, immolation, burning, burning at the stake;
Portuguese auto-da-fé
archaic passion
1.1A display of pretended or exaggerated suffering to obtain sympathy: you know martyrdom isn’t my style...
- They're self-righteous librarians drunk on the power of process and convinced of the virtue of martyrdom.
- He does so with an air of martyrdom about him, the selfish man.
- How could I refuse such an impressive display of martyrdom?
Origin
Old English martyrdōm (see martyr, -dom).