verb
tantalize
TAN-tuh-lyze/ˈtæntəlaɪz/
To tease by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach.
The woman tantalizes the eager man by drawing the chocolate-dipped strawberry just beyond his reach.
Etymology
Tantalus was punished with water and fruit that withdrew whenever he tried to drink or eat. To tantalize someone is to recreate that frustration by keeping something desirable just beyond reach.
More examples
- She tantalizes her brother by holding a cookie just beyond his reach.
- The company tantalized workers with promises of bonuses that never arrived.
- The trailer tantalizes viewers with glimpses of a mystery it never explains.
Forms
tantalize · tantalizes · tantalized · tantalizing
tantalizing adjective — Making something desirable seem just beyond reach.