tantalizing

adjective

tan·​ta·​liz·​ing ˈtan-tə-ˌlī-ziŋ How to pronounce tantalizing (audio)
: possessing a quality that arouses or stimulates desire or interest
also : mockingly or teasingly out of reach
tantalizingly adverb

Examples of tantalizing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Advertisement Like its predecessor, this season ends with the tantalizing suggestion of big, overdue changes to come. Judy Berman, Time, 26 June 2025 And Blake Ritson deserves a special shout-out for his delightfully droll performance as the closeted Oscar van Rhijn, whose arc this season travels through tragedy and ends on the cusp of a tantalizing triumph. EW.com, 25 June 2025 Daniel Palencia Palencia has finally earned some trust after years of showing off tantalizing stuff. Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 16 May 2025 But federal contracting details and historical announcements from FEMA provide tantalizing hints about the facility that started life as a weather and mining research site in the early 1900s. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tantalizing

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1683, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tantalizing was circa 1683

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Cite this Entry

“Tantalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalizing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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