tantalize

tr.v., -lized, -liz·ing, -liz·es.
To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach.

[From Latin Tantalus, Tantalus. See Tantalus.]

tantalization tan'ta·li·za'tion (-lĭ-zā'shən) n.
tantalizer tan'ta·liz'er n.
tantalizingly tan'ta·liz'ing·ly adv.

(TAN-tuh-lyz)
verb tr., also tantalise
To tease or torment by showing something desirable but keeping it out of reach.

Etymology
After Tantalus in Greek mythology. Tantalus, a king of Lydia, was condemned to stand in Hades chin deep in water and under fruits that receded whenever he tried to drink water or eat the fruit.

Usage
"(JK) Rowling e-mailed Catie back with some tantalizing snippets from her fourth book -- `Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' -- and then phoned her in Albany, New York to read extracts." — Rowling Read Unfinished Potter Book To Dying Fan, The Times of India (New Delhi, India), Dec 29, 2002.

"Though Law & Order follows a long line of case-solving hits from Dragnet to Columbo, its penchant for real-life cases is its bread and butter. They tantalize with a whiff of familiarity, but often veer off in another direction to surprise viewers -- and to forestall lawsuits." — Gary Levin, Plot Ideas Ripped From the Headlines, USA Today, Dec 6, 2002.

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verb

To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach: bait, tease. See excite/bore/interest.

v

Definition: provoke, tease
Antonyms: disenchant, repulse, turn off

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IN BRIEF: To tease.

Movie previews are made to tantalize moviegoers.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - spænde på pinebænken, ærgre, pine

Nederlands (Dutch)
doen watertanden

Français (French)
v. tr. - allécher

Deutsch (German)
v. - reizen, zappeln lassen, falsche Hoffnungen wecken

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - βασανίζω, ταλανίζω

Italiano (Italian)
tormentare, stuzzicare, illudere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - tantalizar, atormentar

Русский (Russian)
терзать ложными обещаниями

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - atormentar, martirizar, seducir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - locka, fresta, reta

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
逗弄, 使干着急

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 逗弄, 使乾著急

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - ~을 애타게 하여 괴롭히다, ~을 보여주어 감질나게 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - じらす, 気を持たせる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يعذب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮עורר תקוות-שווא, גרם לייסורי טנטלוס, התעלל‬

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