Tantalization
/ˌtæn.tə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of tormenting someone by teasing them with something desired but withheld.
Did you know?Tantalization comes from Tantalus, the Greek mythic figure condemned to eternal frustration, which is why the word still feels like a spell of deliberate denial.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek mythology
Greek
Tántalos
“Tantalus, the figure punished with unreachable water and fruit”
Late 16th Century
English
tantalize
“To torment by presenting something desirable and withholding it”
Early 17th Century
English
tantalization
“The act or process of tantalizing”
Modern English
English
tantalization
“The act of teasing or tormenting by arousing desire and refusing satisfaction”