exploiting
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whether the genre is romantasy or autofiction, making up stories often demands making up stories about real people — exploiting them — to serve a narrative purpose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Clearly, the Russians are exploiting the fact that there is a serious shortage.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Researchers have found that by exploiting quantum coherence, it may be possible to create engines that exceed those classical limits.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Thus, this shocking program was exploiting doctors and the trust inherent in their relationships with patients, and it was also divisive among the many hardworking physicians.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Men of consequence and means, who had made their fortunes exploiting laborers in their factories, drifted along next to those who had lost their lives toiling on those same factory machines.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
