Tantalisings

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Something that provokes desire or interest but is unattainable
2. an experience or notion that entices the senses while remaining just out of reach
3. creating a sense of longing through pleasurable but elusive promises or inspirations

Etymology: "Tantalisings" is simply the plural of "tantalising", the adjective meaning tempting but out of reach. Its real interest lies in the word it comes from. "Tantalising" is formed from the verb "tantalise", which derives from Tantalus, a figure of Greek myth who was punished in the underworld by being made to stand in water that receded whenever he bent to drink, beneath fruit branches that pulled away whenever he reached for them. The verb carries that image directly: something visible and desirable that remains forever beyond grasp. The suffix "-ing" turns the verb into an adjective, and the plural "-s" makes it apply to several things at once, so "tantalisings" describes multiple temptations that each stay just out of reach.

Synonyms: teasing, tempting

Antonyms: satisfying