exploiting

American  

[ik-sploi-ting] / ɪkˈsplɔɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of utilizing something, especially for profit.

   More resources should be allocated to the exploiting of the local market by attracting more business to the region.

2. the act of using a person or thing selfishly for one’s own ends.

   When I saw the commercial, I was appalled at the exploiting of children's sorrow for corporate gain.

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adjective

1. using a person or thing selfishly or for profit.

   In late czarist Russia, activists began to galvanize workers and peasants against the exploiting landowners, industrialists, and state.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-exploiting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of exploiting

First recorded in 1830–40; exploit ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; exploit ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

“We will not profit from this event no matter what. We will not be making money on this event or exploiting at the birthday of our country in any way, shape or form.”

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

European firms such as major banks currently have no access to cutting-edge models like Anthropic's Mythos, supposed to be extremely powerful at finding and exploiting security holes.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

The system also allowed Cucurella to push higher as an attacking wing‑back, exploiting makeshift Liverpool full-back Curtis Jones on that side.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

“The result was a highly lucrative film franchise that presented itself as sympathetic to Indigenous struggles,” the lawsuit said, “all while silently exploiting a real Indigenous youth behind the scenes.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Why not spend a decade or so exploiting nature’s gifts before building an expensive machine to generate the same energies?

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• crooked
• fraudulent
• nefarious
• rotten
• shady
• unethical
• unscrupulous
• untrustworthy
• venal