tantalism means A punishment like that of the mythological Tantalus; a teasing or tormenting by the hope or near approach of good which is not attainable. It carries an Arena rating of 1619, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tantalism ranks #23 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #945 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,455 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,466 of 17,163 for Funniest Words.
tantalism is pronounced /ˈtæntəlɪzəm/.
Why “tantalism” is a great word
TANTALISM — [Noun] A state of torment in which a desired object is perpetually visible but just out of reach. From the verb *tantalize* (meaning to torment with the sight of something desired but out of reach, itself from the name of the mythological figure Tantalus) + the suffix *-ism* (forming nouns of action or practice). Earliest evidence from before 1627, in a text by William Rowley. Unlike “teasing,” which is often playful and brief, or “tantalization,” which refers to the momentary act, “tantalism” is the systematic, cruel condition of being trapped in unending frustration. It is the desert traveler forever seeing the oasis shimmer ahead, the child with its nose pressed to the sweetshop glass, and the gambler who wins back just enough to keep him at the table—a cosmology of absence where every sense is turned against the soul.
Etymology
Tantalize + -ism.
noun
- A punishment like that of the mythological Tantalus; a teasing or tormenting by the hope or near approach of good which is not attainable.e.g.“I dare say will think it a lively representation of a person lying under the torments of such a kind of Tantalism , or Platonic Hell , as that which we have now under consideration .” — 1711 June 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “TUESDAY, June 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 90; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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