designing

American  

[dih-zahy-ning] / dɪˈzaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. scheming; intriguing; artful; crafty.

   Synonyms:

   sly, tricky, cunning, wily

2. showing or using forethought.

---

noun

1. the act or art of making designs.

designing British  

/ dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ /

adjective

1. artful and scheming; conniving; crafty

---

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

Matthew Wolff is best known for designing the hugely popular Nigeria outfits at the 2018 World Cup, as well as those for winners France.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

This might include federal R&D targeted at designing AI to collaborate with workers and loosening occupational licensing rules.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

More broadly, the research demonstrates a new strategy for designing materials from the bottom up by assembling specially engineered nanoparticles into entirely new structures with customized properties.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

Chip makers can focus on designing the best chips, while avoiding the costly and messy business of actually producing them.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

I dreamed of being an architect, designing the most beautiful bridges in the world.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang