1. Home
2. Idioms
3. have designs on

have designs on

---

---

have designs on someone or something

Fig. to have plans to exploit or somehow take advantage of someone or something. Mrs. Brown has designs on my apple tree. I think she's going to cut off the part that hangs over her fence. Mary has designs on Bill. I think she'll try to date him.

See also: design, have, on

have designs on somebody

to want to have a sexual relationship with someone She suspected that Helen had designs on her husband.

See also: design, have, on

have designs on something

to want to have something and to plan to get it I knew that David had designs on my half of the business.

See also: design, have, on

have designs on

Contrive a secret plot or scheme, especially with selfish motives. For example, I think he has designs on my job, or Mary has designs on her sister's boyfriend. This term uses design in the sense of "a crafty plan," a usage dating from about 1700.

See also: design, have, on