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Glite Dictionary
📝 Planning creation 🕵️ Secretly scheming
designing

designing

2 7.6
Having secret plans to get something by tricking others
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ/
  • Archaic
: 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
24 8.0

Someone who secretly plans to do something dishonest or harmful

is about gaining personal advantage rather than deliberately causing harm
scheming
vsdesigning
12 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
329 1.0

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

sincerity
65 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

How Cunning

conniving
24 8.0
scheming
12 6.2
designing
  • Archaic
2 7.6
sly
60 4.9
crafty
49 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.