tantalize

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈtæntəlaɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #76745

Meanings

1

verb
To tease someone by showing or offering something they want but cannot have.

The smell of fresh bread tantalized the hungry travellers.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to tease someone by showing... taunt tease

Word family

Forms tantalizedtantalizestantalizing

Related forms tantalizing

Simplified etymology

Tantalize is formed from the name of Tantalus in Greek mythology. He was condemned to stand among water and fruit that withdrew whenever he tried to drink or eat, giving the verb its sense of tormenting someone with something desirable that remains just out of reach.

Etymology

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.

Τάνταλος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# tantalize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈtæntəlaɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 76745

## Meanings
1. To tease someone by showing or offering something they want but cannot have.

## Examples
- The smell of fresh bread tantalized the hungry travellers.

## Related Forms
- tantalizing

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: Τάνταλος

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Tantalize is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include Τάνταλος (Ancient Greek). Current senses include to tease someone by showing or offering something they want but cannot have. The wider family includes related words such as tantalizing.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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