conniving
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of conniving
First recorded in 1625–50; connive ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Someone conniving is calculating, scheming, and shrewd — in other words, sneaky and up to no good. Do you know anyone who is always trying to get away with things? Do they constantly look for ways to get out of trouble or work? Those kind of people are conniving. This is a word for secretive, shifty behavior. However, being conniving isn't the worst thing in the world — it's negative, but you probably wouldn't say a murderer is conniving. It's usually reserved for con men, shady business moguls, and manipulative social climbers.
Vocabulary lists containing conniving
The Cay
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
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Dear Justyce
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
SantaCon’s conniving leader gives New Yorkers another reason to hate the yearly bar crawl.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
At Sam First, you’re so far into the Westside it feels conniving and like a tech monster might hold you hostage until you give up all your data.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
"Marty Supreme," starring Oscars frontrunner Timothee Chalamet as a conniving 1950s table tennis player with big dreams, finished in fifth place at $6.7 million.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
The conniving producers, stagestruck backers, formidable labor organizations and long hours in grim conditions show that Shakespeare really is our contemporary.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
“Him and all them greedy conniving railroad men, making promises Montana can’t deliver.”
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
