tantalising (UK), tantalizing (US)
adjective

- describes something that causes desire and excitement in you, but which is unlikely to provide a way of satisfying that desire

The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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ORIGIN

Tantalise stems from the Greek myth of Tantalus, the son of Zeus and King of Sipylos. He was uniquely favoured among mortals since he was invited to share the food of the gods.

However, he abused the guest-host relationship and was punished by being “tantalised” with hunger and thirst in Tartarus (a place in the underworld). He was immersed up to his neck in water, but when he bent to drink, it all drained away. Luscious fruit hung on trees above him, but when he reached for it the winds blew the branches beyond his reach. Poor fellow…

A tantalus, by an obvious analogy, is also the term for a type of drinks decanter stand, in which the bottle stoppers are firmly clamped down by a locked metal bar. This was to prevent servants from stealing the master’s liquor. The decanters themselves, however, remain clearly visible.

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SYNONYMS

absorbing, adorable, alluring, appealing, appetising, arousing, arresting, attractive, beckoning, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charismatic, charming, compelling, enchanting, engrossing, enthralling, enticing, entrancing, eye-catching, fascinating, fetching, gripping, hypnotising, intriguing, inviting, irresistible, luring, magnetic, mesmerising, mouth-watering, provocative, spellbinding, TANTALISING, teasing, tempting, winning, winsome

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Practice OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“Their offer is TANTALISING, but I don’t think the management board will accept it.”

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Paul Smith