Tantalises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To tease or torment someone with the promise of something desired yet unattainable
2. to provoke interest or desire by presenting something enticing but ultimately frustrating
3. to engage in a form of enticement that keeps someone longing for something just out of reach

Etymology: Tantalus was a figure in Greek myth, a king punished in the underworld by being made to stand in water that receded whenever he bent to drink, with fruit hanging just beyond his reach. The Greek and Latin sources differ on his crime, which was reportedly serving his son to the gods as a meal, but the torment itself was consistent. The verb "tantalise" came into English in the 1600s, formed from the Latinised name "Tantalus" plus the suffix "-ise." The "-ise" spelling is the British form; American English usually writes "tantalize." "Tantalises" is the third-person singular present form of "tantalise," so it means "he, she, or it tantalises." The verb carries the myth's central image directly: something desirable is shown but kept deliberately out of reach.

Synonyms: teases, torments, tempts, entices, lures

Antonyms: satisfies, fulfills, gratifies, appeases, calms