verb
C2
Proficient
tantalize
Tantalize (verb) means to tease someone by showing them something they want, without letting them have it.
verb
1
To tease someone by showing them something they want, without letting them have it.
"Then he signed the warrior to continue to shoot arrows into the great beast while he attempted to close in upon him with the knife; so as one tantalized upon one side, the other sneaked cautiously in upon the other."
— Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan (1913)
"“It was—simply amazing,” she repeated abstractedly. “But I swore I wouldn’t tell it and here I am tantalizing you.”"
— Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1925)
2
To feel teased because something you want is kept just out of reach.
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Etymology
From Tantalus (Ancient Greek Τάνταλος (Tántalos)) in Greek mythology, who was condemned to Tartarus in the underworld. There, he had to stand for eternity in water that receded from him when he stooped to drink, beneath fruit trees whose branches were always out of reach. Derived as Tantalus + -ize.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for tantalize
See all rhymes for tantalize →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of tantalize?
"tantalize" (verb) means to tease someone by showing them something they want, without letting them have it.
What is another word for tantalize?
Other words for "tantalize" include razz, rally, tease, bait, taunt, cod.
What is the opposite of tantalize?
Opposites of "tantalize" include gratify, satisfy.
What are the different meanings of tantalize?
"tantalize" has 2 main meanings: 1. To tease someone by showing them something they want, without letting them have it; 2. To feel teased because something you want is kept just out of reach.
