Definitions

1. adjective

relating to or characteristic of Tantalus, or to his punishment of being forever unable to reach food and drink.

“The tantalising prospect of a delicious meal was made all the more tantalalean by the aroma wafting from the kitchen.”

2. noun

a person who is tantalizingly near a goal or reward but cannot attain it.

“The job candidate was a tantalean figure, always seeming on the verge of getting hired, but never quite making the cut.”