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

Example Sentences

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

From Barron's

He seemed like the sort of tantalizing five-star talent who could change not just the present but future of a program.

From Los Angeles Times

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

But then, he flashed the tantalizing potential that the Dodgers saw when they signed him before last season.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

Related Words

• alluring