tantalize

Etymology

First recorded in 1597,^[1][2] from English Tantalus + -ize,^[2][3] after the mythical king Tantalus (from Latin Tantalus, from Ancient Greek Τάνταλος (Tántalos)),^[4][5] who was punished in the underworld by standing in water that receded whenever he stooped to drink, beneath fruit that withdrew from his reach.^[4][5]

References

1. [1] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
2. [1] [2] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. [1] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
4. [1] [2] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. [1] [2] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org