designing

American  

[dih-zahy-ning] / dɪˈzaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. scheming; intriguing; artful; crafty.

   Synonyms:

   sly, tricky, cunning, wily

2. showing or using forethought.

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noun

1. the act or art of making designs.

designing British  

/ dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ /

adjective

1. artful and scheming; conniving; crafty

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• well-designing
  adjective
• designingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of designing

First recorded in 1610–20; design + -ing ², -ing ¹

Explanation

The adjective designing describes those who secretly scheme to get what they want, even if it means cheating others, like the designing group member who tricks everyone else into doing all the work for their shared project. You might incorrectly assume designing means "creative," in the sense of a fashion designer, but instead of beautiful clothing, the designing person dreams only of his or her own best interests — before anyone else's. Someone who’s designing plans ahead to make sure things go his way, even if it means lying or making other people look bad. A good synonym for designing is scheming.

Example Sentences

After the closing bell on Monday, it was announced that Intel is expanding its deal with Cadence Design Systems, a company which makes software and hardware that speed up the process of designing chips.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

The concept of Nueva Vida began in 2022; Mendoza previously worked as a stylist for retailers H&M and Gap, though he says he always had an interest in designing his own pieces.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

The companies are designing comprehensive solutions spanning the silicon and module levels up to the rack and system layers, and are also exploring opportunities in custom AI chips.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The process of designing, testing a printing the notes takes several years before they can enter circulation.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

His speed in designing and building the apparatus was more impressive than the results he obtained, which matched Swann’s expectations and therefore advanced science by a tiny increment, if at all.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik