Synonyms

tantalize

American

[tan-tl-ahyz] / ˈtæn tlˌaɪz /

especially British, tantalise

verb (used with object)

to torment with, or as if with, the sight of something desired but out of reach; tease by arousing expectations that are repeatedly disappointed.

Synonyms:

frustrate, tempt, taunt, provoke

Antonyms:

satisfy

tantalize British

/ ˈtæntəˌlaɪz /

verb

(tr) to tease or make frustrated, as by tormenting with the sight of something greatly desired but inaccessible

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Past

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Etymology

Origin of tantalize

First recorded in 1590–1600; Tantal(us) + -ize

Explanation

When you tantalize people, you torment them in a specific way — by showing them something they want but can’t have. You could tantalize people with cavities and nut allergies by eating pecan pie in front of them. The word tantalize comes from a Greek story about a guy named Tantalus who was so evil that the gods of the underworld came up with a special punishment just for him (they were really good at that). They put him in a pool of water that drained away every time he bent down to drink. There was also a tree above his head that whisked away its juicy apples every time he tried to pick one. So, it only makes sense that to tantalize someone is to torture them with what they cannot have.

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Example Sentences

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At least a dozen outfits bearing such names as Tantalize, Tantrific Sun and Tan Four Seasons have opened scores of the indoor bronzeries in the past twelve months.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023