Making a choice always means making a sacrifice, giving up one thing for another.
Source: tatoeba (273564)
Sacrifice
/ˈsæk.ɹɪ.faɪs/
Synonyms for "sacrifice" (304 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (61)
abandonabandonmentabjurationabjureaffordaltruismannihilateappeasebanebe bereaved ofbereave of lifebereavementbloodbloodlettingbloodshedbrainingburnt offeringcarry awaycarry offcease
Show 36 more words
cedecessionchloroformclose outcollectioncommitmentconsecrateconsecrationconvert into cashcostcut downcut offcut underdamagedead lossdealing deathdebitdedicatededicationdefaultdenialdenudationdenydeprivationdeprive of lifedesistdespoilmentdestroydestructiondestruction of lifedetrimentdevotedevotiondisgorgedisinterestdisinterestedness
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (91)
dispatchdispensationdispense withdisposaldispose ofdispositiondispossessiondivestmentdo away withdo fordo to deathdo withoutdonatedrink offeringdropdumpdumpingeffect a saleendeschew
Show 60 more words
euthanasiaex voto offeringexecuteexecutionexpenseexterminateexterminationfinishfinish offflood the marketflow of bloodforbearforfeitforfeitureforgoforgoingforswearforswearingget along withoutget rid ofgetting rid ofgivegive awaygive upgiving upgo astray fromgorehave done withheave offeringhecatombholocausthuman sacrificehumilityimmolateimmolate beforeimmolationincenseincur lossinfanticideinjuryjobkillkillingkiss good byekiss good-byelapidationlaunch into eternitylean over backwardslet golet slipletting golibationliquidateloselose outloserlosinglosing streaklosslynch
Verb(3 words)
Related words (152)
mactationmake a sacrificemake a salemake away withmake propitiationmake sacrifice tomarketmartyrmartyrdommartyrizationmartyrizemerchandisemercy killingmislaymisplacemissmodestymovenip in the budoblation
Show 111 more words
offeroffer sacrificeoffer upofferingoffertorypartpart withpeace offeringperditionpiacular offeringpoisonpoisoningprivationpropitiatepurgeput awayput downput to deathput to sleepquitclaimrecantrecantationrefrain fromreleaserelinquishrelinquishmentremove from liferenderrender uprenouncerenunciationresellresignresignationretailretractretractionridriddanceritual killingritual murderrobberyruinsacramental offeringscapegoatself-abasementself-abnegationself-denialself-devotionself-effacementself-forgetfulnessself-immolationself-neglectself-neglectfulnessself-renouncementself-sacrificeself-subjectionselflessnesssellsell offsell on consignmentsell outsell oversell retailsell shortsell upsell wholesaleshootingsignslaughterslayslayingsparespoliationstarvestoningstopstrippingsuffer losssurrendersutteesutteeismswear offswearing offtake lifetake offtaking awaytaking of lifetemperancethank offeringthrow uptotal lossturn into moneyturn overunacquisitivenessundercutundergo privationundersellunloadunpossessivenessunselfishnessvacatevictimvictimizevotive offeringwaivewander fromwhole offeringwholesaleyieldyielding
Verb(2 words)
Noun(17 words)
oblationoblationsofferofferingofferingspenancepersonal costpresentpricepropitiationrelinquishrenounceritual killingsacrificingtrade offstrade-offtribute
Determiner(2 words)
the coststhe costs of
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: forfeit, abandon, abandonment, abjuration, abjure.
- Sentence evidence is available for sacrifice, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sacrifice".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sacrifice"
Keep "sacrifice" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sacrifice" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sacrifice", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sacrifice" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
27 entriesShowing 16 of 27 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
11 entriesanimal sacrificecost of sacrificehuman sacrificemake a sacrificepersonal sacrificeritual sacrificesacrifice comfortsacrifice oneselfsacrifice resourcessacrifice safetysacrifice time
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
6 entriesTranslations
89 translations across 60 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- flijoj verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- θύω verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Arabic
1 entries- ضَحَّى verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Armenian
2 entries- զոհաբերել verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- զոհել verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Asturian
1 entries- sacrificar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Belarusian
2 entries- ахвярава́ць verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ахвяро́ўваць verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Bengali
2 entries- কুরবান করা verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- বলিদান করা verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Bulgarian
1 entries- принасям в жертва verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Catalan
1 entries- sacrificar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Central Kurdish
1 entries- قوربان کردن verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 犧牲 /牺牲 verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- 祭獻 /祭献 verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Czech
1 entries- obětovat verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Danish
1 entries- ofre verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Dutch
1 entries- offeren verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Egyptian
1 entries- R4:t*p verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Esperanto
1 entries- oferi verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Estonian
1 entries- ohverdama verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Faroese
2 entries- bjóða verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- geva gávu verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Finnish
1 entries- uhrata verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
French
1 entries- sacrifier verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Galician
1 entries- sacrificar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Georgian
2 entries- მსხვერპლშეწირვა verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- შეწირვა verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
German
1 entries- opfern verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Greek
1 entries- θυσιάζω verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Hebrew
1 entries- הקריב verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Hindi
1 entries- क़ुरबान करना verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Hungarian
1 entries- feláldoz verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Icelandic
2 entries- fórna verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- gefa til verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Ido
1 entries- sakrifikar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Italian
1 entries- sacrificare verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Japanese
2 entries- 捧げる verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- 犠牲にする verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Khmer
4 entries- បូជា verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ពលី verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- សែន verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ហ័វ verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Korean
1 entries- 희생(犧牲)하다 verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Lao
2 entries- ບູຊາ verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ພະລີ verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Latin
2 entries- condono verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- sacrificō verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Latvian
2 entries- upurēt verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ziedot verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Mongolian
2 entries- тахил өргөх verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- тахих verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Māori
2 entries- raupanga verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- whakahere verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Norwegian
1 entries- ofre verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Old English
2 entries- blōtan verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- offrian verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Polish
2 entries- ofiarować verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- złożyć w ofierze verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Portuguese
1 entries- sacrificar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Punjabi
2 entries- وارنا verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- ਵਾਰਨਾ verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Romanian
2 entries- jertfi verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- sacrifica verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Russian
4 entries- же́ртвовать verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- поже́ртвовать verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- принести́ в же́ртву verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- приноси́ть в же́ртву verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Sanskrit
1 entries- यजति verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- žrtvovati verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- жртвовати verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Slovak
2 entries- obetovať verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- obetovať sa verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Slovene
1 entries- žrtvovati verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Spanish
1 entries- sacrificar verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Swahili
1 entries- kuchinja verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Swedish
1 entries- offra verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Thai
2 entries- บูชา verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- พลี verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Turkish
1 entries- kurban etmek verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Ugaritic
1 entries- 𐎄𐎁𐎈 verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Ukrainian
1 entries- же́ртвувати verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Vietnamese
3 entries- cúng tế verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- hiến tế verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- tế verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Walloon
2 entries- ofri verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
- sacrifyî verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Welsh
1 entries- aberthu verb ((transitive) to offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity; (transitive) to offer a human being or an animal, or an object, to a deity)
Sample sentences
54 total sentences available.
They killed a goat as a sacrifice to God.
Source: tatoeba (306097)
I've steeled myself to face a certain amount of sacrifice, effort and hardship if that's what it takes to fulfill my dream.
Source: tatoeba (322765)
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
Source: tatoeba (330412)
Showing 4 of 54 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sacrifice"?
Closest matches include forfeit, abandon, abandonment, abjuration, abjure.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sacrifice"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.