- present participle of connive.
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dear Justyce
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"Damon's Odysseus is stubborn, overconfident and sacrilegious, but doesn't bear that much resemblance to the conniving, hypocritical egotist of lore who fretted over his wife's fidelity," she noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
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
At a Saturday briefing for high ranking military officers first reported by the Journal, Gen. Zhang was accused of everything from conniving at corruption with family members to spilling nuclear secrets to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
She had been despised as an underhanded and conniving witch since her days with Caesar.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
