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Added 9 October 2026

tantalize

/ˈtæntəlaɪz/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tantalize at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To tease (someone) by offering or showing them something desirable but leaving them unsatisfied.
To be teased by something desirable that is kept out of reach.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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