sacrifice

SAK-ruh-fys/ˈsækɹəˌfaɪs/UKSAK-ri-fys/ˈsækɹɪfaɪs/

20 meanings of sacrifice

1
nounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Giving up something important so you can gain or protect something you care about more.
Like giving up your seat so someone who needs it more can sit down.
Skipping vacations for years was a real sacrifice, but they finally saved enough for a house.
Her parents made many sacrifices so she could go to college.
Similarsurrender, renunciation, price, loss, forfeiture
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2
verbfigurativelytransitive
To give up something you value to get or protect something you want more.
Like trading a toy you like for one you want even more.
He sacrificed his weekends to finish the project on time.
You may have to sacrifice some comfort to save money.
Similarforgo, surrender, forfeit, relinquish, renounce
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3
nouncountable or uncountable
The killing of an animal or person, or offering of an object, as a gift to a god.
Like leaving a gift at an altar to thank or please a god.
The ancient temple was a place of animal sacrifice.
In the old story, the king ordered a sacrifice to please the gods.
Similaroffering, immolation
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4
verbtransitive
To kill an animal or person, or give up an object, as a gift to a god.
The villagers sacrificed a goat to thank their god.
Long ago, some peoples would sacrifice animals before a battle.
Similaroffer, immolate, slaughter
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5
nouncountable
A living thing or object that is offered to a god as a gift.
The lamb was the sacrifice laid upon the altar.
They chose a young bull as the sacrifice for the festival.
Similaroffering, victim, oblation
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6
nounusually singular
Jesus Christ's willing death on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.
Christians remember Christ's sacrifice every Easter.
The sermon focused on the sacrifice that saved humanity.
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7
nounfigurativelycountable
The giving of prayer, thanks, or sorrow to a god as a kind of offering.
Their daily prayers were offered as a sacrifice of thanks.
He saw his quiet devotion as a sacrifice pleasing to God.
Similaroffering
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8
verbfigurativelytransitive
To kill an animal or person, especially to kill an animal for a science experiment.
Researchers had to sacrifice the mice at the end of the study.
The lab sacrificed several rats to test the new drug.
Similareuthanize, kill, destroy, cull
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9
nounfigurativelycountable
A move where you let the other player take one of your pieces to get a better spot.
Like giving up a small toy now so you can grab a bigger prize later.
Her queen sacrifice surprised everyone but won the game.
He made a clever sacrifice to trap the king.
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10
verbfigurativelytransitive
To let the other player capture one of your pieces on purpose to get a better position.
She sacrificed her knight to open up the board.
Sometimes you must sacrifice a pawn to win later.
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11
nounfigurativelycountableabbreviationellipsis
Short form of sacrifice bunt or sacrifice hit. A baseball play where the batter gives up an out to move a runner.
The runner reached third base on a sacrifice.
His sacrifice let the winning run move into scoring position.
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12
verbfigurativelytransitive
In baseball, to bat the ball so you are put out but a base runner can move ahead.
Like giving up your own turn so a friend can move ahead in a game.
He sacrificed the runner over to second with a bunt.
Good hitters know how to sacrifice a teammate into scoring position.
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13
verbfigurativelyintransitive
In baseball, to hit the ball on purpose so you are put out but a runner can move ahead.
With a man on first, he decided to sacrifice.
She sacrificed so her teammate could reach second.
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14
nounusually singular
In Christian worship, Holy Communion or the Mass, seen as an offering made to God.
Every Sunday the church gathered for the sacrifice.
The priest lifted the bread and wine during the sacrifice of the Mass.
SimilarEucharist, Mass
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15
verbintransitive
To kill an animal or offer a gift to a god as an act of worship.
Like giving a special gift to show respect to someone powerful.
The priests sacrificed to the gods before every battle.
Ancient peoples would sacrifice at the temple altar.
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16
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To lead the Christian service of Holy Communion or Mass.
The old priest sacrificed at the altar every morning.
On holy days the clergy sacrifice with great care.
Similarcelebrate, officiate
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17
nounfigurativelycountable
In bridge, a bid you expect to lose, made so you lose fewer points than your opponents would gain.
Rather than let the other pair make their game, she bid one level higher as a sacrifice.
Their sacrifice cost only fifty points.
Similarsave
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18
verbfigurativelyintransitive
In bridge, to make a bid you expect to lose, so you lose fewer points than your opponents would gain.
With the opponents about to score, she chose to sacrifice.
They sacrificed to stop the other pair from making game.
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19
noundatedfigurativelyusually singular
A money loss from selling something for less than it is worth, or the thing sold that way.
Like selling your bike for far less than it is worth just to get rid of it fast.
He sold the old piano at a sacrifice to clear the room.
[H]e bought a green shawl for Mrs. Bolton, and a yellow one for Fanny: the most brilliant "sacrifices" of a Regent-street haberdasher's window.
1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Conversations”Here, sacrifices means goods sold for less than they are worth.
Similarloss, bargain
Oppositeprofit
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20
verbdatedfigurativelytransitive
To sell something for less than it is worth, so you lose money on the deal.
They sacrificed the whole stock to pay their debts.
A newspaper advertisement announces that "A professional gentleman is instructed to sacrifice Three young sound Horses at half their cost." We wonder what deity horses could be sacrificed to?
1850, “Sacrifice Extraordinary”, in PunchHere, sacrifice means sell for less than they are worth, at a loss.
Similardump, liquidate, unload
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Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 5–7, 9, 11, 14, 17, 19

It came through Middle English and Old French from Latin sacrificium, which combined sacrum (a sacrifice or sacred rite) and faciō (to do or make).

Meanings 2, 4, 8, 10, 12–13, 15–16, 18, 20

This is the verb form, made from the noun sacrifice plus an old ending -en that formed verbs.