to use someone or something unfairly for your own advantage
Laws exist to stop companies exploiting their employees.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
exploit
verb (exploits, exploiting, exploited)
to treat somebody badly to get what you want:
Some employers exploit foreign workers, making them work long hours for low pay.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
exploit
I. ex‧ploit1 AC /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: esploit 'result, success', from Latin explicitus, from explicare; ⇨ ↑explicate]
1. to treat someone unfairly by asking them to do things for you, but giving them very little in return – used to show disapproval:
Homeworkers can easily be exploited by employers.
2. to try to get as much as you can out of a situation, sometimes unfairly:
The violence was blamed on thugs exploiting the situation.
3. to use something fully and effectively:
The new TV companies are fully exploiting the potential of satellite transmission.
4. to develop and use minerals, forests, oil etc for business or industry:
the urgent need to exploit the resources of the Irish Sea
—exploitable adjective
—exploiter noun [countable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ use: Do you mind if I use your phone? | They rebuilt the church using local stone. | We use a range of different methods.
▪ make use of something to use something that is available to you: Staff can make use of a wide range of facilities. | She made full use of her contacts within the organization.
▪ employ formal to use a particular method or skill in order to achieve something: The surgeons employed a new technique. | They employed every means at their disposal (=every available method).
▪ utilize formal to use something that is available to you, for a practical purpose: The company has developed a new way to utilize solar energy. | a better way of utilizing the space
▪ exploit to use something as fully and effectively as possible, or to use something that will give you an advantage over your opponent: The country’s natural resources have not yet been fully exploited. | He was quick to exploit any weakness in his opponent’s argument.
▪ apply to use something such as a method, idea, or system in a particular situation: New technology is being applied to almost every industrial process. | I wanted to apply the things that I had learned on the course.
▪ draw on something to use information, knowledge, or experience that you have learned in the past: He was able to draw on his own experience as a diplomat when he was writing the book. | Journalists draw on information from many different sources.
▪ resort to something to use violence, force, threats etc as a way of achieving something: Extremists on both sides resort to violence. | We are prepared to resort to force if necessary.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
exploit
ex·ploit AW [exploit exploits exploited exploiting] verb, noun
verb [ɪkˈsplɔɪt] ; [ɪkˈsplɔɪt]
1. ~ sth (disapproving) to treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself
• He exploited his father's name to get himself a job.
• She realized that her youth and inexperience were being exploited.
• The opposition parties will always exploit government problems to their own advantage.
2. ~ sb (disapproving) to treat sb unfairly by making them work and not giving them much in return
• What is being done to stop employers from exploiting young people?
3. ~ sth to use sth well in order to gain as much from it as possible
• She fully exploits the humour of her role in the play.
• Teachers should be exploiting computers in education.
4. to develop or use sth for business or industry
• ~ sth No minerals have yet been exploited in Antarctica.
• ~ sth for sth countries exploiting the rainforests for hardwood
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French esploit (noun), based on Latin explicare ‘unfold’, from ex- ‘out’ + plicare ‘to fold’. The early notion of ‘success, progress’ gave rise to the sense ‘attempt to capture’, ‘military expedition’, hence the current sense of the noun. Verb senses (mid 19th cent.) are from modern French exploiter.
Thesaurus:
exploit verb T (usually disapproving)
• Some employers are exploiting immigrants.
disapproving abuse • • use • |formal misuse •
exploit/abuse your position
abuse/misuse drugs/alcohol/solvents
exploit/use sb/sth for your own ends
Example Bank:
• Birds exploit these wind patterns to the fullest.
• Companies are moving in to exploit the natural resources of the area.
• He pursued his own interests, cynically exploiting his privileged position as trustee.
• He was determined to exploit the potential of this new discovery.
• She was eager to exploit her discovery commercially.
• The architect has cleverly exploited new materials and building techniques.
• The company has been successful in exploiting new technology to the full.
• The team were quick to exploit their competitive advantage.
• The workers are ruthlessly exploited by their employers.
• They were quick to exploit the economic possibilities of the situation.
• He exploited his father's name to get himself a job.
• They were hoping to exploit any weaknesses the other team might have.
• This legal loophole has been ruthlessly exploited by many unscrupulous investors.
• What is being done to stop employers from exploiting immigrants?
Derived Word: exploiter
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
exploit / ɪkˈsplɔɪt / verb [ T ] (USE UNFAIRLY)
B2 to use someone or something unfairly for your own advantage:
Laws exist to stop companies exploiting their employees.
exploit / ɪkˈsplɔɪt / verb [ T ] (USE WELL)
B2 to use something for advantage:
We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
exploit
exploits, exploiting, exploited
(The verb is pronounced [ɪksplɔ͟ɪt]. The noun is pronounced [e̱ksplɔɪt].)
1) VERB If you say that someone is exploiting you, you think that they are treating you unfairly by using your work or ideas and giving you very little in return.
[V n] Critics claim he exploited black musicians for personal gain.
[V-ed] ...the plight of the exploited sugar cane workers.
Derived words:
exploitation [e̱ksplɔɪte͟ɪʃ(ə)n] N-UNCOUNT Extra payments should be made to protect the interests of the staff and prevent exploitation.
2) VERB (disapproval) If you say that someone is exploiting a situation, you disapprove of them because they are using it to gain an advantage for themselves, rather than trying to help other people or do what is right.
[V n] The government and its opponents compete to exploit the troubles to their advantage.
Derived words:
exploitation N-SING N of n ...the exploitation of the famine by local politicians.
3) VERB If you exploit something, you use it well, and achieve something or gain an advantage from it.
[V n] You'll need a good aerial to exploit the radio's performance...
[V n] Cary is hoping to exploit new opportunities in Europe...
[V n] So you feel that your skills have never been fully appreciated or exploited?
4) VERB To exploit resources or raw materials means to develop them and use them for industry or commercial activities.
[V n] I think we're being very short sighted in not exploiting our own coal.
Derived words:
exploitation N-UNCOUNT usu N of n ...the planned exploitation of its potential oil and natural gas reserves.
5) N-COUNT: usu pl, with poss If you refer to someone's exploits, you mean the brave, interesting, or amusing things that they have done.
His wartime exploits were later made into a film and a television series.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
exploit
2ex·ploit /ɪkˈsploɪt/ verb -ploits; -ploit·ed; -ploit·ing [+ obj]
1 : to get value or use from (something)
• He has never fully exploited his talents.
• Top athletes are able to exploit their opponents' weaknesses.
• We need to exploit [=take advantage of] this opportunity/situation.
• exploit natural resources
2 : to use (someone or something) in a way that helps you unfairly
• They were accused of exploiting [=taking advantage of] migrant workers.
• She said the tragedy had been exploited by the media.
- ex·ploit·able /ɪkˈsploɪtəbəl/ adj [more ~; most ~]
• exploitable resources
- ex·ploi·ta·tion /ˌɛkˌsploɪˈteɪʃən/ noun [noncount]
• a victim of exploitation