tantalizing

1 of 2

adjective

tan·​ta·​liz·​ing ˈtan-tə-ˌlī-ziŋ 

: possessing a quality that arouses or stimulates desire or interest

also : mockingly or teasingly out of reach

tantalizingly adverb

tantalizing

2 of 2

present participle of tantalize

Examples of tantalizing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But that talent combined with Heupel’s penchant for QB development is a tantalizing prospect. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

This increases the basket size, and even more tantalizing for Walmart is that groceries are a weekly, biweekly, or monthly order cadence, whereas coffee can be daily. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

Jide Abasiri also jumped off the tape, and the thought of pairing the two of them with a healthy Jahkeem Stewart is pretty tantalizing. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

With optics said to be similar to the Hubble Space Telescope's, two free telescopes presented the agency with a tantalizing opportunity. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of tantalize

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1683, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tantalizing

• advertising
• agonising
• amortizing
• analyzing
• anodizing
• appetizing
• atomizing
• authorising
• authorizing
• carbonizing
• carburizing
• catalyzing