make a martyr of (oneself)

To go out of one's way to do difficult or unpleasant things, especially to engender pity or sympathy in others. My mother always made a martyr of herself at Christmas time, slaving away in the kitchen and then complaining about how tired she was.

See also: make, martyr, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

See also:

heartstring
play on heartstrings
play on the/(one's) heartstrings
have pity on
have pity on (one)
fall out with (someone) about (something)
take pity
take pity on
take pity on (someone or something)
get it over with

词组	make a martyr of (oneself)
释义	make a martyr of (oneself) make a martyr of (oneself) To go out of one's way to do difficult or unpleasant things, especially to engender pity or sympathy in others. My mother always made a martyr of herself at Christmas time, slaving away in the kitchen and then complaining about how tired she was. See also: make, martyr, of Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. See also: heartstring play on heartstrings play on the/(one's) heartstrings have pity on have pity on (one) fall out with (someone) about (something) take pity take pity on take pity on (someone or something) get it over with
随便看	a month of Sundays a morning person a mote in someone's eye a mother hen a motor mouth amount a mountain to climb amount/come to the same thing amount to amount to a hill of beans amount to much amount to nothing amount to the same thing amour propre a mouth a mouth full of South a movable feast a mover and a shaker a mover and shaker amp amped amped-up amps amuck a mug's game