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 tantalized
-
past perfectof tantalize.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Back then, Ohtani’s 100-mph fastball and wicked off-speed repertoire had tantalized evaluators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025
Their prodigy had tantalized tennis fans on the West Coast, where he tore apart seasoned veterans like Gaël Monfils of France and Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.
From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2022
The gift that he gave to aspiring Black designers was the ability to see themselves succeeding within a fashion system that had tantalized folks for generations.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 29, 2021
One released cable in particular had tantalized and galled Tchobanov and Yordanov: It was a 2005 briefing by U.S.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2012
Since Man's achievement of extra-galactic flight, stories of Rykeman III had tantalized the world and made research scientists sick with longing when they considered the possible truth of what they heard.
From The Unlearned by Raymond F. Jones
