Tantalising
/ˈtæn.təl.aɪ.zɪŋ/noun
Arousing desire or interest by offering something desirable but keeping it just out of reach.
Did you know?The word is named after Tantalus from Greek myth, whose eternal punishment was to stand in water and beneath fruit he could never drink or eat — a perfect ancient image of frustrated desire.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Tántalos
“Tantalus, the mythic figure punished with endless frustration”
Late Latin
Latin
Tantalus
“The same mythic name, transmitted through classical tradition”
16th–17th Century
English
tantalize
“To torment by offering something desired but withholding it”
18th Century
English
tantalising
“Causing painful desire or teasing attraction”
Modern English
English
tantalising
“Tempting in a way that is frustratingly just out of reach”
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