Tantalus

noun

Tan·​ta·​lus ˈtan-tə-ləs How to pronounce Tantalus (audio)
1
: a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eat
2
not capitalized : a locked cellarette with contents visible but not obtainable without a key

Examples of Tantalus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Variety recently exclusively reported that Timothy Simons will appear in Season 2 as Tantalus. Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Sep. 2024 Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 has added Timothy Simons (Veep) in the recurring role of Tantalus, our sister site Variety reports. Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2024 Simons will appear in recurring guest star role in the Disney+ adaptation of the Rick Riordan book series, playing the role of Tantalus. Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 Aug. 2024 In Greek mythology, Tantalus was condemned to stand in a shallow pool of water with a fruit tree hanging above him, with the branches just out of reach. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 May 2024 There’s a mountain on Oahu named for the Greek myth of Tantalus, for whom satisfaction was always just out of reach. Kristina Linnea Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The 42 mm timepiece is encased in tantalum, a rare, blue-grey, corrosion-resistant metal named after Tantalus of Greek mythology. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 23 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Tantalos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tantalus was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Tantalus

Cite this Entry

“Tantalus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tantalus. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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