exploit means A heroic or extraordinary deed. It carries an Arena rating of 1500, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, exploit ranks #1,212 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words, #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,382 of 14,297 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words.
exploit is pronounced /ˈɛksplɔɪt/.
Why “exploit” is a great word
To perform a deed of great courage or skill, or to employ a resource or person to maximum, often selfish, advantage. From Old French esploit (noun, "action, deed, result") and esploitier (verb, "to accomplish, carry out"), from Latin explicitus, past participle of explicare ("to unfold, set forth, explain"). Unlike "utilize" (which suggests a neutral, practical application) or "abuse" (which denotes direct, cruel mistreatment), to exploit is to leverage a situation or a vulnerability to its absolute limit, for glory or for gain. It is the brilliant tactical maneuver that wins a battle, the elegant line of code that unlocks a hidden function, and the relentless extraction of labor from a desperate populace—the same act of unfolding potential, seen as heroism from one angle and as theft from another.
Etymology
From Old French esploit (noun), esploitier (verb).
noun
- A heroic or extraordinary deed.“Hieronimo, it greatly pleaſeth vs, / That in our victorie thou haue a ſhare, / By vertue of thy vvorthy Sonnes exployt.”
- An achievement.“The first trek to the summit of Mount Everest was a stunning exploit.”
- A program or technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability in other software.“One of the more publicized cases that involved a zero-day exploit concerned the compromise of some U.S. military web servers. The attack involved exploiting a buffer overflow vulnerability in a core Windows component; […]”
- An action or technique that takes advantage of the conditions of a video game to gain an advantage, or to disadvantage others.
verb
- To use (something) to someone's advantage, such as one's own benefit or a society's benefit.“to exploit natural resources in a sustainable way”
- To make unfair use of someone else's labor, person, or property to one's own advantage.“Materialistic people who exploit others will come to a bad end.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- prowess 85% match — Skillfulness or extraordinary ability in a particular area of expertise; dexterity, mastery, or proficiency. vs exploit →
- heroism 83% match — The qualities characteristic of a hero, such as courage, bravery, fortitude, selflessness, etc.; the display of such qualities. vs exploit →
- adventure 83% match — A feeling of desire for new and exciting things. vs exploit →
- escapade 83% match — A daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against convention. vs exploit →
- heroic 82% match — Of or relating to a hero or heroine; supremely noble. vs exploit →
- merit 82% match — A claim to commendation or a reward. vs exploit →
- audacious 82% match — Showing willingness to take bold risks; recklessly daring. vs exploit →
- extraordinary 82% match — Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual. vs exploit →