Tantalize means "to torment," "to tease by arousing expectations," "to disappoint repeatedly." Harass implies persecution through demands, threats, or annoyances; it also suggests disturbing and troubling with repeated attacks. A girl tantalizes a boy when she seems to be responsive but refuses to go out with him. A telephone operator is harassed by the stream of silly requests that she receives. Related words are pester, badger, hound, plague, bait, torment, disappoint, harry, vex, rack, and distress.
Dictionary of problem words and expressions. Harry Shaw. 1975.