# exploit

/ˈɛksˌpɫɔɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/exploit
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to use effectively

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to use a situation or resource in a way that helps you.

For teachers: to make full use of and derive benefit from a resource or situation. Transitive; usually carries a neutral or positive connotation in business and science.

- The company hopes to exploit new technology to reduce its carbon footprint.
- The research team sought to exploit the unique properties of the new alloy to create more durable medical implants.

Usage: Often followed by 'the potential of' or 'the opportunity to'.

### 2. to treat unfairly

verb · CEFR B2

to treat someone unfairly by making them work hard and not giving them enough in return.

For teachers: to make use of a person or a group in a way that is considered unfair or unethical. Transitive; carries a strong negative moral judgement.

- Laws are in place to stop factories from exploiting young workers.
- Critics argued that the gig economy often exploits vulnerable individuals who lack the protection of traditional employment contracts.

### 3. an adventure or deed

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

an exciting, brave, or funny action or adventure.

For teachers: a bold or daring feat; often used in the plural to describe a series of notable adventures.

- The book tells the story of the pilot's many exploits during the war.
- The documentary detailed the explorer's Arctic exploits, including his narrow escape from a collapsing ice shelf.

Teaching tip: This noun sense is often used with a touch of irony or admiration in modern storytelling.

### 4. software vulnerability

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a piece of software or a trick that uses a mistake in a computer program to break into it.

For teachers: a piece of software, a chunk of data, or a sequence of commands that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability to cause unintended behaviour.

- Hackers used a known exploit to steal data from the website.
- Security researchers discovered a zero-day exploit that allowed unauthorised access to the operating system's kernel.

## Examples

- The book tells stories of his daring exploits at sea.
- Security researchers discovered a new exploit that allows hackers to bypass the login screen on older smartphones.
- While historical accounts often romanticise the military exploits of the era, modern historians focus more on the logistical failures that eventually led to the empire's collapse.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.