up for grabs
phrase of grab
1.
informal
available; obtainable.
"great prizes up for grabs"
synonyms: available, obtainable, to be had, for the taking; for sale, on the market; informalfor the asking, on tap, gettable
"dozens of prizes are up for grabs"
receded from his grasp
Tantalus (TAN-tuh-lus)
The word "tantalize" comes from the plight of the mythological Tantalus, who so offended the gods that he was condemned in the afterlife to an eternity of hunger and thirst. He was made to stand in a pool in Tartarus, the Underworld zone of punishment. Each time he reached down for the water that beckoned to his parched lips, it drained away. Overhanging the pool were boughs laden with luscious fruit. But each time Tantalus stretched to pluck this juicy sustenance, the boughs receded from his grasp. For his crime, which may have entailed stealing ambrosia from the gods, this great sinner was tantalized indeed. More pictures of Tantalus in the entries for Tartarus, ambrosia and nectar.
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tantalize
verb
gerund or present participle: tantalizing
torment or tease (someone) with the sight or promise of something that is unobtainable. "such ambitious questions have long tantalized the world's best thinkers"
•excite the senses or desires of (someone).
"she still tantalized him"
synonyms: tease, torment, torture, bait; More
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tantalizing
adjective
1. having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire, especially that which remains unobtainable or beyond one's reach: a tantalizing taste of success.
Origin of tantalizing Expand
1650-1660
First recorded in 1650-60; tantalize + -ing
Related forms Expand
tantalizingly, adverb
untantalizing, adjective
Can be confused Expand
tantalizing, titillating.
Contemporary Examples
The White-Haired Man (James Morrison), so tantalizingly creepy in his appearance last season, was felled pretty quickly.
‘Revenge’: What Went Wrong with ABC’s Once-Daring Thriller?
Jace Lacob
March 7, 2013
Rich in mythology and character development, and tantalizingly complex, Lost is not something to be watched passively.
The Lost Season
Allyssa Lee
September 14, 2009
After months of debate, lawmakers seeking to pass health-care reform are tantalizingly close to the goal line.
The Democrats' Doomsday Health Plans
Benjamin Sarlin
January 19, 2010
Historical Examples
Stella, although admiring the uniforms, was tantalizingly uncritical.
Peggy Stewart at School
Gabrielle E. Jackson
Their friend's answers were brief and tantalizingly incomplete.
Cy Whittaker's Place
Joseph C. Lincoln
Presently his eyes wandered from these treasures to the budding bushes that nodded so tantalizingly over the wall.
The Louisa Alcott Reader
Louisa M. Alcott
Frances' behavior to the young doctor was tantalizingly contradictory.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln
His name—” she hesitated tantalizingly—“ is Signor Abraham Lincoln.
Jerry Junior
Jean Webster
I dare you to give me a good ball, said Alvin tantalizingly.
The Boy Patrol on Guard
Edward S. Ellis
She did not know how tantalizingly her face, close and clear in skin texture as the petal of a lily, flashed out her dislike.
The King Of Beaver, and Beaver Lights
Mary Hartwell Catherwood
Word Origin and History for tantalizingly Expand
tantalizing adj.
mid-17c., present participle adjective from tantalize. Related: Tantalizingly.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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sekkieren
Wortart: schwaches Verb
Gebrauch: österreichisch, sonst veraltet
Rechtschreibung
Worttrennung: sek|kie|ren
Bedeutungsübersicht
1. belaestigen, quaelen
2. necken
Synonyme zu sekkieren
anliegen, anpoebeln, belaestigen, drangsalieren, maltraetieren, martern, nerven, piesacken, plagen, quaeen, quengeln, schikanieren, schinden, schmerzen, stechen, stoeren, verspotten, wehtun
Aussprache
;
Betonung: sekkieren
Herkunft
;
italienisch seccare, eigentlich;= (aus)trocknen < lateinisch siccare, zu: siccus;= trocken