tantalize
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.
had been tantalizing
-
past perfect progressiveof tantalize.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Butler reached the question that had been tantalizing Britons for weeks: Would he reduce taxes?
From Time Magazine Archive
The shores of Canada had been tantalizing my longing gaze for some days, and I was bound to reach there long before my mistress returned.
From From the Darkness Cometh the Light, or Struggles for Freedom by Lucy A. (Lucy Ann) Delaney
Perhaps Tom had been tantalizing his business manager, or maybe he really was doubtful about the flexibility of the bar.
From Tom Swift and His Giant Telescope by James Gary
Some time later that same afternoon Eliphalet succeeded in solving the problem that had been tantalizing him all day.
From Anderson Crow, Detective by George Barr McCutcheon
