tantalizing

American  

[tan-tl-ahy-zing] / ˈtæn tlˌaɪ zɪŋ /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• tantalizingly
  adverb
• untantalizing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tantalizing

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

Explanation

Something tantalizing is tempting: like a meal that smells amazing and makes you want to eat it. Tantalizing things are very appealing. When something is tantalizing, it makes you want it, even if it's totally out of reach. An exciting movie trailer could be tantalizing if it makes you want to see the movie. A little part of a song can be tantalizing if it tempts you to hear more. Smells — when they're good smells — can be very tantalizing. Just walking through a good restaurant, smelling and looking at the food, is a tantalizing experience.

Example Sentences

“There are tantalizing signs that businesses are starting to pull the trigger on new hires,” said Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist at BMO Capital Markets.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

So-called leveraged exchange-traded funds offer a tantalizing prospect—to double, or sometimes triple, stock market moves.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

The company’s bridge loans looked tantalizing to asset-based lenders, who were hungry for more investments to put in their funds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

And yet the prospect of using origami to improve existing technologies is, for some, tantalizing.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Prior to the encounter of Voyager 1 with Titan in November 1980, our information about Titan was scanty and tantalizing.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• alluring