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. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.