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

Horror label Blumhouse brought four new films to tantalize global theater owners on Tuesday, which will roll out steadily through 2025. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025

These are tantalizing technologies that have proven elusive for other rocket companies. —ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025

Score a $1,500 First Bet Offer Baseball fans can get back in the swing of the new season with a tantalizing sign-up bonus from BetMGM Sportsbook. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

As the galaxy tries to rebuild and reconnect following the (temporary) destruction of the mass relays, their expertise could come in handy, and the political implications of them being given a second chance among the other sentient species is a tantalizing story thread to follow. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Tantalus

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for tantalize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

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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.