tantalize

verb

tan·​ta·​lize ˈtan-tə-ˌlīz 

tantalized; tantalizing

transitive verb

: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach

intransitive verb

: to cause one to be tantalized

tantalizer noun

Did you know?

Pity poor King Tantalus of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended the ancient Greek gods. As punishment, according to Homer's Odyssey, he was plunged up to his chin in water in Hades, where he had to stand beneath overhanging boughs of a tree heavily laden with ripe, juicy fruit. But though he was always hungry and thirsty, Tantalus could neither drink the water nor eat the fruit. Anytime he moved to get them, they would retreat from his reach. Our word tantalize is taken from the name of the eternally tormented king.

Examples of tantalize in a Sentence

She was tantalized by the possibility of earning a lot of money quickly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Of course, Hall, the former MVP, was always going to be a tantalizing prospect for playoff contenders. —Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025

The show's biggest misstep, however, was its rapid abandonment of the tantalizing Federation/Maquis dynamic. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2025

Richards appears to be on the Suns’ radar, a league source told The Observer, and rumors are beginning to churn around the backup center, who surely tantalized Phoenix decision-makers with that 15-point, 12-rebound, three-block effort in the first matchup between the two teams. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2025

And when the team needed to clear a roster spot last week, Cartaya became the easiest name for the team to move on from, his once tantalizing potential having never come to fruition. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Tantalus

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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Kids Definition

tantalize

verb

tan·​ta·​lize ˈtant-ᵊl-ˌīz 

tantalized; tantalizing

: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach

tantalizingly

-ˌī-ziŋ-lē

adverb

Etymology

from Greek Tantalus, name of a king in mythology

Word Origin

In Greek mythology, King Tantalus offended the gods, so they punished him in a truly terrible way. He was forced to stand in a lake whose water came up to his neck. But every time Tantalus became thirsty and bent over to drink, the water level dropped so that he could never reach it. Above his head were branches loaded with delicious fruits. Yet every time Tantalus reached up to take a fruit, the branches moved up out of reach, leaving him hungry. Thus, Tantalus was always in torment, and from his name comes the English word for tormenting or teasing someone in a similar way.