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

• 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

"The technology to replicate a person's face, voice, and mannerisms has advanced faster than the safeguards around it, creating a gap that bad actors are already exploiting."

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

The government says authorities have carried out raids and taken action against hoarders and black marketeers who are exploiting shortages to price gouge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Mythos scored a 100% on Anthropic’s CyBench cybersecurity benchmark, demonstrating high skills in finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

AI music platforms Suno and Udio were sued by major record labels in 2024 for allegedly exploiting the recorded works of professional musicians.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 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