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

Adames has tantalizing power but has struck out at least 150 times in a season on five occasions while achieving a .248 career batting average according to Baseball-Reference. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

Below, a brief moment of reprieve from all the other holiday sale blasts and the tantalizing pages of deals on Amazon for some light aromatherapy. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 2 Dec. 2024

By Judy Berman October 10, 2024 2:00 PM EDT Autumn may be the most atmospheric season, tantalizing the senses with soft sweaters and warm beverages and the crunch of colorful leaves underfoot. —Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024

While the prospect of exploring what lies beyond Big Thunder Mountain tantalized fans, its lack of tangibility left many wondering what exactly Disney was doing to compete with the upcoming opening of Universal’s Epic Universe. —Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2024

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.