exploit

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

v. 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.”

Academic

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

v. 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.”

n. an exciting, brave, or funny action or adventure.

n. 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.”

Literary

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

n. 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.”

Technical