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

Cadence’s EDA systems include software and hardware for designing, simulating and verifying chips and printed circuit boards before production.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

Marvell’s business designing custom AI chips —called application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs—has been the focus of investors in recent years.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Peck decided to focus on designing and making handcrafted furniture that could last another hundred years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Future progress will likely depend on reducing noise or designing circuits that can function effectively despite it.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

Richard was the son of a blacksmith, but he had no interest in designing load-bearing machines such as watermills or windmills.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton