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Glite Dictionary
📝 Planning creation 🕵️ Secretly scheming
designing

designing

7.6
Having secret plans to get something by tricking others
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : maquinador
  • She warned her brother to stay away from the designing stranger who seemed too eager to help.

Examples

  • She always had a designing smile that hinted at her hidden motives.

  • She had a designing look in her eyes.

  • The detective soon realized that the seemingly helpful neighbor was actually designing and manipulative.

  • Throughout history, many rulers have fallen prey to the plots of designing courtiers.

  • His designing nature made him hard to trust.

  • The politician's designing schemes were aimed at gaining more power.

  • The con artist was known for his designing ways that deceived many unsuspecting victims.

Synonyms

conniving
vsdesigning
8 8.0

Someone who secretly plans to do something dishonest or harmful

is about gaining personal advantage rather than deliberately causing harm
scheming
vsdesigning
1 6.2

Having secret plans to get what you want in a dishonest way

is aimed mainly at advancing personal interests rather than causing harm

Antonyms

honesty
365 1.0

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

sincerity
71 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

How Cunning

conniving
8 8.0
scheming
1 6.2
designing
  • Archaic
7.6
sly
31 4.9
crafty
47 4.5

Surface Forms

designing positive

Morphology

designing = design (opaque) = design + ing

Although historically related to 'design', the adjective 'designing' in the sense of 'crafty' is a lexicalized and not easily predictable meaning.

Etymology

Designing comes from the same root as design, from Latin designare meaning 'to mark out' or 'plan'. Long ago design also meant a secret 'plan', so a 'designing' person is one who has a hidden plan — that is why it can mean 'crafty' or deceitful.