tantalizing

[tan-tl-ahy-zing]

adjective

1. having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire, especially that which remains unobtainable or beyond one's reach.

   a tantalizing taste of success.

Other Word Forms

• tantalizingly adverb
• untantalizing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tantalizing¹

First recorded in 1650–60; tantalize + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Every now and then, there were flashes of his tantalizing potential.

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At that point, Sasaki had lost his tantalizing velocity, hardly even threatening 100 mph since his adrenaline-fueled debut in Tokyo back in March.

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It’s a number that’s both tantalizing and fraught, depending on your political perspective.

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Baldwin held these romantic relationships in tantalizing suspension, his love affairs caught between the poles of desire and intimacy, the heat of passion and long-term commitment.

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Over a five-inning start that included eight strikeouts, no walks and a whole bunch of flailing swings by the Rays, the veteran left-hander flashed his two-time Cy Young Award-winning stuff and tantalizing late-season potential.

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Related Words

• alluring