tantalize

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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tantalize (third-person singular simple present tantalizes, present participle tantalizing, simple past and past participle tantalized)

  1. (transitive) to tease (someone) by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach
  2. (transitive) to bait (someone) by showing something desirable but leaving them unsatisfied

Quotations

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Further reading

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