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

• designingly
  adverb
• well-designing
  adjective

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

Adams’s process for designing his own products is decidedly analog: He uses scissors, cardboard and tape to make models.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

"Our findings allowed us to rationalize the critical role of engineering the hydrogen-bond network at the catalyst/electrolyte interface in designing high-efficiency, low-cost AEMWEs," Wu said.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

Several drugmakers are now working with AI partners on everything from designing drugs to boosting supply-chain productivity.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

It can help with aspects like designing and managing materials.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

In addition, she remade his ears, stripping them of the few pieces of fur that remained and designing him a new pair.

From "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo