ex·ploit1 /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ ●○○ AWL verb [transitiveT] 1 TREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDSto treat someone unfairly by asking them to do things for you, but giving them very little in return – used to show disapproval 剥削,压榨〔含贬义〕 Homeworkers can easily be exploited by employers. 在家工作的人容易被雇主剥削。
2 to try to get as much as you can out of a situation, sometimes unfairly 利用 The violence was blamed on thugs exploiting the situation. 暴力事件归咎于这一局面被暴徒所利用。
3 USE somethingto use something fully and effectively 充分利用,发挥 The new TV companies are fully exploiting the potential of satellite transmission. 新创立的电视公司在充分利用卫星传输的潜力。
► see thesaurus at use —exploitable adjectiveadj
—exploiter noun [countableC]