exploiting

[ ik-sploi-ting ]

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.

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 Words From

• self-ex·ploit·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exploiting¹

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 have thus confirmed the hypothesis that efficient gaits can be realized by exploiting natural oscillation patterns," explains Prof.

From Science Daily

They’ve built an unseen engine of the economy by recruiting and exploiting undocumented migrants.

From New York Times

“Money” Mayweather, always the capitalist, seized on the opportunity to make lucrative paydays by exploiting the racism that fueled the desire for his downfall.

From Salon

But he's highly skilled at was exploiting weaknesses in the press, creating his own reality and getting just enough people to project it to the public at large.

From Salon

And Donald Trump, who doubled down on masculinity in this election, may have played a part in exploiting that.

From BBC

Related Words

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