exploit

¹ American  

[ek-sploit, ik-sploit] / ˈɛk splɔɪt, ɪkˈsplɔɪt /

noun

1. a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act.

   the exploits of Alexander the Great.

   Synonyms:

   accomplishment

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exploit ² American  

[ik-sploit, eks-ploit, ik-sploit] / ɪkˈsplɔɪt, ˈɛks plɔɪt, ɪkˈsplɔɪt /

verb (used with object)

exploits, present (3rd person singular) exploited, past participle, past exploiting present participle

1. to utilize, especially for profit; turn to practical account.

   to exploit a business opportunity.

2. to use selfishly for one's own ends.

   employers who exploit their workers.

3. to advance or further through exploitation; promote.

   He exploited his new movie through a series of guest appearances.

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noun

Digital Technology.

1. 1. a flaw in hardware or software that is vulnerable to hacking or other cyberattacks.

   2. a piece of software that takes advantage of such a flaw to compromise a computer system or network.

2. (in a video game) the use of a bug or flaw in game design to a player’s advantage or to the disadvantage of other players.

exploit British  

noun

1. a notable deed or feat, esp one that is noble or heroic

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verb

1. to take advantage of (a person, situation, etc), esp unethically or unjustly for one's own ends

2. to make the best use of

   to exploit natural resources

Usage

What does exploit mean? As a verb, exploit commonly means to selfishly take advantage of someone in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself. As a noun, exploit means a notable or heroic accomplishment. As a verb, exploit can also be used in a more neutral way that doesn’t imply selfishness: to make the best use of something, especially an opportunity, to create a profit or other benefit. But when the verb is applied to people, it is always used negatively. The noun form of the verb exploit is exploitation, and the adjective form is exploitative, as in exploitative practices. Example: I know you’re trying to live up to the exploits and success of your father, but exploiting your workers to maximize profit is not the way to do it.

Synonym Usage

See achievement.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• exploitive
  adjective
• unexploitable
  adjective
• nonexploitative
  adjective
• exploitation
  noun
• nonexploitive
  adjective
• exploitability
  noun
• unexploitive
  adjective
• exploitable
  adjective
• exploitative
  adjective
• exploiter
  noun
• nonexploitable
  adjective
• unexploitative
  adjective
• exploitatory
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has exploited
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have exploited
  perfect
• are exploiting
  progressive
• exploits
  singular 3rd person
• has been exploiting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is exploiting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been exploiting
  perfect progressive
• am exploiting
  progressive 1st person singular
• exploiting
  participle

Past

• had exploited
  perfect
• were exploiting
  progressive plural
• was exploiting
  progressive singular
• had been exploiting
  perfect progressive
• exploited
  simple
• exploited
  participle

Future

• will exploit
  simple
• will have exploited
  perfect
• will have been exploiting
  perfect progressive
• will be exploiting
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of exploit¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English exploit, espleit, from Old French exploit, Anglo-French espleit, from Latin explicitum, neuter of explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre “to unfold, unroll, smooth, reveal”; see explicate

Origin of exploit²

First recorded in 1300–50; from French exploiter, derivative of exploit (noun); replacing late Middle English expleiten “to achieve,” from Anglo-French, Middle French espleiter, espleitier, derivative of espleit, esploit, expleit, exploit (noun), from Latin explicitum “matter settled, displayed,” noun use of explicitus “unfolded, revealed,” variant past participle of explicāre; see exploit ¹

Explanation

An exploit is a heroic act or notable deed. The King Arthur legends are full of stories of the exploits of the Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Lancelot and King Arthur himself. This noun is from Middle English expleit, "outcome," from Latin explicitus, "unfolded, set forth." The verb exploit means to use someone or something, usually selfishly or for profit. Workers who are tired of being exploited by factory owners form unions that allow them to stand together as a powerful force.

Example Sentences

It may be nearly too much to handle, but Antosca is from New Orleans and says he found it easy to exploit the Southern Gothic sensibilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

While Australia produced a number of bowler-friendly pitches, an England attack built to exploit the pace and bounce of more traditional Australian surfaces failed to take full advantage.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Magnets that exploit the properties of rare earths such as neodymium can overheat, making them lose their magnetism in high-tech, high-temperature settings such as vehicle engines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

One driver of the shift was Anthropic’s limited April release of Claude Mythos — with that model withheld from the general public because of its ability to autonomously find and exploit software vulnerabilities.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Greenberg, who already owned a similar number of houses in the section, was expanding his holdings to exploit the housing crunch caused by urban renewal.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• abuse
• apply
• capitalize on
• employ
• handle
• manipulate
• mine
• profit from
• use
• utilize