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

Example Sentences

For that, the Armstrong team had a more focused role designing and testing the network of hundreds of sensors that would be the agency’s eyes and ears for the test.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

This work shows that arranging nitrogen groups in specific adjacent patterns can be done reliably, providing a clear strategy for designing improved carbon capture materials.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

A young woman won a legal case against Meta and Google’s YouTube after accusing the companies of designing their apps to be addictive.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

It also meant personally designing a campus in Murray Hill where departments were spread apart, so that scientists and engineers would be forced to walk, mingle and engage in serendipitous conversations and debate ideas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Every step in the decade-long process of designing and building the city predestined to carry his name was supervised by Washington.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis