tantalize

== English == === Alternative forms === tantalise (non-Oxford British English) === 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. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtæntəlaɪz/ === Verb === tantalize (third-person singular simple present tantalizes, present participle tantalizing, simple past and past participle tantalized) (transitive) To tease (someone) by offering or showing them something desirable but leaving them unsatisfied. Synonym: taunt (intransitive, obsolete) To be teased by something desirable that is kept out of reach. ==== Related terms ==== tantalizing ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “tantalize”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. == Portuguese == === Verb === tantalize inflection of tantalizar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative