1 : a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion. 2 : a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle a martyr to the cause of freedom.

What does martyr literally mean?

A martyr (Greek: μάρτυς, mártys, "witness", or μαρτυρία, marturia, stem μαρτυρ-, martyr-) is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or cause as demanded by an external party.

Is it an insult to be called a martyr?

If you refer to someone as a martyr, you disapprove of the fact that they pretend to suffer, or exaggerate their suffering, in order to get sympathy or praise from other people.