- present participle of design.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of designing
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.
Vocabulary lists containing designing
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.
Their findings suggest that decision making begins much earlier in the brain than traditional theories propose, offering fresh ideas for designing future AI systems that are more capable and far more energy efficient.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
"Or when it comes to designing a place like this, the doors should be designed with more width in mind. Make them wider, make it easier for customers to escape," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
His Los Angeles firm, Studio One Eleven, is overseeing the master plan and designing buildings, but it has also brought in another architect to make the complex’s look more diverse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The package followed months of deliberations by Welltower’s board, which enlisted compensation consultants, law firms and spent “hundreds and hundreds of hours” designing the plan, Mitra said on an earnings call.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Surely painting rickshaws wasn’t much harder than designing alpanas.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
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.
