English Meaning & Definitions
Engaged in making sly, calculating, or underhanded plans, especially to achieve a selfish goal.
- “The scheming villain plotted to overthrow the rightful king.”
- “She kept her distance from the scheming executives in the office.”
The act or practice of forming secret, crafty, or devious plans.
- “Years of political scheming finally caught up with him.”
- “Behind her polite smile was a lifetime of quiet scheming.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “scheming”.
Derived from the verb 'scheme', which entered English in the late 16th century from the Latin 'schema' (figure, shape, plan), borrowing from the Greek 'skhēma'. Originally referring to the formation of a plan or diagram, it gradually developed a more pejorative connotation in modern usage to describe secretive, calculating, or underhanded plotting.
Think of a 'scheme' (a secret plan) with a '-ing' ending; someone who is *scheming* is actively cooking up a crafty plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About “scheming”
1. What is the meaning of “scheming” in English?
In English, scheming (adjective) is defined as: “Engaged in making sly, calculating, or underhanded plans, especially to achieve a selfish goal.”.
2. How do you use “scheming” in a sentence?
“The scheming villain plotted to overthrow the rightful king.”
3. What are English synonyms of “scheming”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “scheming”?
Derived from the verb 'scheme', which entered English in the late 16th century from the Latin 'schema' (figure, shape, plan), borrowing from the Greek 'skhēma'. Originally referring to the formation of a plan or diagram, it gradually developed a more pejorative connotation in modern usage to describe secretive, calculating, or underhanded plotting.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.