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   exploit

   verb

   • 1. make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource): "500 companies sprang up to exploit this new technology" Similar utilizemake use ofput to useuseuse to good advantageturn/put to good usemake the most ofcapitalize onbenefit fromturn to accountdraw onprofit from/bymake capital out ofinformal:cash in onmilk
   • 2. make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand: "the company was exploiting a legal loophole"
   • ▪ benefit unfairly from the work of (someone), typically by overworking or underpaying them: "these workers are at particular risk of being exploited in the workplace" Similar take advantage ofmake use ofabuseimpose onprey onplay onmisuseill-treatbleedsuck drysqueezewringenslavetreat unfairlywithhold rights frommanipulatecheatswindlefleecevictimizelive off the backs ofinformal:walk (all) overtake for a rideput one over oncash in onrip offOpposite treat fairly

   noun

   • 1. a bold or daring feat: "despite a series of colourful exploits, his agents obtained little intelligence of value"
   • 2. a software tool designed to take advantage of a flaw in a computer system, typically for malicious purposes such as installing malware: "if someone you don't know tweets you a link, it's either spam, an exploit, or probably both"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French esploit (noun), based on Latin explicare ‘unfold’ (see explicate). 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 century) are from modern French exploiter.

   Derivatives

   • 1. exploitable adjective
   • 2. exploiter noun

   Scrabble Points: 16

   • E

     1

   • X

     8

   • P

     3

   • L

     1

   • O

     1

   • I

     1

   • T

     1

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