tantalize
verb
Did you know?
Pity poor King Tantalus of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended the ancient Greek gods, and was sentenced, according to Homer's Odyssey, to suffer in Hades the following punishment: to stand neck-deep in water, beneath overhanging boughs of a tree heavily laden with ripe, juicy fruit. But though he was always hungry and thirsty, Tantalus could neither drink the water nor eat the fruit: anytime he moved to get them, they would retreat from his reach. Our word tantalize is taken from the name of the eternally tormented king.
Examples of tantalize in a Sentence
Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Set in his native Scotland and lovingly photographed, the film tantalizes even without a terribly original story.
—Stephen Farber, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2025
From cracks near its south pole, the moon blasts towering geysers of water vapor, ice and organic molecules into space, which are tantalizing hints of a hidden ocean that could, in theory, be habitable.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Give folks a taste of a team capable of dissecting a top defense, all systems go, for a type of tantalizing 27-21 victory.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tantalize
Cite this Entry
“Tantalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalize. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tantalize
verb
from Greek Tantalus, name of a king in mythology
Share