tantalizing

tantalizing
tantalize (also tantalise) VERB torment or tease with the sight or promise of something that is unobtainable or withheld.
DERIVATIVES tantalization noun tantalizing adjective.
ORIGIN from Tantalus in Greek mythology, who was punished for his crimes by being provided with fruit and water which receded when he reached for them.

English terms dictionary. 2015.

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  • tantalizing — [tan′tə līz΄iŋ] adj. 1. that tantalizes 2. tempting; enticing [a tantalizing odor of cookies] tantalizingly adv …   English World dictionary

  • tantalizing — index provocative, sapid Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • tantalizing — (adj.) mid 17c., prp. adjective from TANTALIZE (Cf. tantalize). Related: Tantalizingly …   Etymology dictionary

  • tantalizing — adjective 1. arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable or mockingly out of reach (Freq. 1) a tantalizing taste of success • Syn: ↑tantalising • Similar to: ↑inviting 2. very pleasantly inviting (Freq. 1) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Tantalizing — Tantalize Tan ta*lize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tantalized}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tantalizing}.] [From {Tantalus}: cf. F. tantaliser.] To tease or torment by presenting some good to the view and exciting desire, but continually frustrating the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tantalizing — tantalizingly, adv. /tan tl uy zing/, adj. having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire, esp. that which remains unobtainable or beyond one s reach: a tantalizing taste of success. [1650 60; TANTALIZE + …   Universalium

  • tantalizing — adjective Teasing; tempting, but beyond reach. ...then it was that monomaniac Ahab, furious with this tantalizing vicinity of his foe, which placed him all alive and helpless in the very jaws he hated; frenzied with all this, he seized the long… …   Wiktionary

  • tantalizing — adj. Tantalizing is used with these nouns: ↑glimpse, ↑hint …   Collocations dictionary

  • tantalizing — tan|ta|liz|ing also tantalising BrE [ˈtæntəl aızıŋ] adj making you feel a strong desire to have or do something ▪ the tantalizing smell of fried bacon >tantalizingly adv ▪ She was tantalizingly out of reach …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tantalizing — tan|ta|liz|ing [ tæntl,aızıŋ ] adjective making you feel excited or hopeful about having something you want, often something that you never get: a tantalizing display of chocolates ╾ tan|ta|liz|ing|ly adverb: We were tantalizingly close to… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • tantalizing — also tantalising BrE adjective making you feel a strong desire to have something that you cannot have: The tantalizing smell of warm bread wafted out of the shop. tantalizingly adverb …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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