tantalize
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tantalize
- /ˈtæntəlaɪz/
Where it comes from
From Tantalus (Ancient Greek Τάνταλος (Tántalos)) in Greek mythology, who was condemned to Tartarus in the underworld. There, he had to stand for eternity in water that receded from him when he stooped to drink, beneath fruit trees whose branches were always out of reach. Derived as Tantalus + -ize.
verb tantalizes · tantalizing · tantalized · tantalise
-
To tease (someone) by offering or showing them something desirable but leaving them unsatisfied.
They could not bear to be tantalized nor tortured by the splendid delusion.
Similar: taunt
- To be teased by something desirable that is kept out of reach. The poore people in Corinth did ſee, and ſmell, vvhat the rich men taſted, Tantalizing all the vvhile, and having their penury doubled by the Antiperiſtaſis of others plenty[…]
Translations
Every language
verb to tease someone by offering something desirable but leaving them unsatisfied
| Español | tantalizar |
|---|---|
| Français | tantaliser |
| Italiano | tentare, lusingare, infliggere il supplizio di tantalo, allettare |
| Русский | прима́нивать primánivatʹ, манить manitʹ |
Talk about this word "tantalize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tantalize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tantalize. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tantalize "tantalize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tantalize.Cite this
@misc{tantalize_2026,
title = {tantalize},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tantalize},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
