tantalize
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Merriam-Webster
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🗓️ 15 July 2025
⏱️ 2 minutes
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Summary
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2025 is:
tantalize • \TAN-tuh-lyze\ • verb
To tantalize someone is to cause them to feel interest or excitement about something that is very attractive, appealing, etc.
// She was tantalized by the prospect of a big promotion.
Examples:
"Craving a culinary adventure? Look no further than Manila Street Treats, nestled within the vibrant Tapatio Produce International Market and Shops building in Elkton. This hidden gem offers a diverse menu of Filipino and international flavors that will tantalize your taste buds." — Chester County Press (Oxford, Pennsylvania), 1 Apr. 2025
Did you know?
Pity poor King Tantalus of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended the ancient Greek gods, and was sentenced, according to Homer's Odyssey, to suffer in Hades the following punishment: to stand neck-deep in water, beneath overhanging boughs of a tree heavily laden with ripe, juicy fruit. But though he was always hungry and thirsty, Tantalus could neither drink the water nor eat the fruit: anytime he moved to get them, they would retreat from his reach. Our word tantalize is taken from the name of the eternally tormented king.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's the Word of the Day podcast for July 15th. |
| 0:12.0 | Today's word is tantalize, spelled T-A-N-T-A-L-I-Z-E. |
| 0:18.0 | Tantilize is a verb. To tantalize someone is to cause them to feel interest or excitement |
| 0:22.7 | about something that is very attractive or appealing. Here's the word used in a sentence from |
| 0:27.8 | the Chester County Press. Craving a culinary adventure? Look no further than Manila Street |
| 0:34.2 | Treats, nestled within the vibrant Tapatio produce international market and shops |
| 0:39.4 | building in Elkton. This hidden gem offers a diverse menu of Filipino and international flavors |
| 0:46.1 | that will tantalize your taste buds. Pity poor King Tantalus of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended |
| 0:53.9 | the ancient Greek gods and was sentenced, |
| 0:57.1 | according to Homer's Odyssey, to suffer in Hades the following punishment, to stand neck-deep |
| 1:03.2 | in water beneath overhanging boughs of a tree heavily laden with ripe, juicy fruit. But though |
| 1:09.7 | he was always hungry and thirsty, |
| 1:11.9 | tantalus could neither drink the water nor eat the fruit. Anytime he moved to get them, |
| 1:17.6 | they would retreat from his reach. Our word tantalize is taken from the name of the eternally |
| 1:23.5 | tormented king. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. |
| 0:00.0 | Music tormenting king. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. |
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