Tantalus
/ˈtæn.tə.ləs/noun
In Greek mythology, a king condemned to eternal punishment; by extension, something that teases with what cannot be reached.
Did you know?Tantalus was so associated with impossible longing that his name became the root of the English word *tantalize*—to torment someone with desire while keeping fulfillment away.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Τάνταλος (Tántalos)
“A mythic king punished in the underworld with unattainable food and water”
Latin
Latin
Tantalus
“The same mythological figure, adopted into Roman literature”
Late Middle English
English
tantalize
“To torment by offering something desired but withholding it”
Modern English
English
tantalus
“A person or thing that teases or frustrates by seeming just within reach”
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