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.
tantalized
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past participleof tantalize.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof tantalize.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
tantalizeverb (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.
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.
A multiday music festival on the beach is a SoCal dream that has tantalized and vexed concert promoters for generations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Because for as many people as Byrd tantalized during her legendary cable run through the ’80s and ’90s, there were just as many who were outraged and scandalized by her sex-positive, queer-inclusive values.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Cancer vaccines have long tantalized and frustrated researchers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
But they are tantalized by possibilities beyond the game.
From New York Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
They were on the verge of a major discovery, and the glory of it perhaps tantalized them.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
