take advantage of

idiomatic phrase

1

: to make good use of (something) : to profit by (something)

take advantage of an opportunity

We took advantage of the warm weather and did some yard work.

2

a

: to impose on (someone) : to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone)

After a while, I began to think she was taking advantage of me.

He felt like he'd been taken advantage of.

b

: to use (something or someone) unfairly for personal gain

He took advantage of [=exploited] my lack of experience.

It adds that young people in care homes, with learning disabilities, those excluded from school or using drugs or alcohol are particularly vulnerable to being targeted by people who take advantage of them for money, food or drugs.

—Stephen Naysmith

c

: to exploit (someone) sexually

The star shared her experiences of Hollywood bosses who tried to take advantage of her in the early days of her career.

—The Belfast Telegraph Online

Examples of take advantage of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, shoppers can take advantage of these deals and save up to 42 percent off on nearly every type of home item, including a stand mixer, a plush mattress, a lightweight vacuum, and more from popular brands like KitchenAid, Shark, Tommy Bahama, and Sealy. —Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024

As a tattooist, Lali inks identification numbers onto prisoners’ arms to take advantage of the better sleeping arrangements and more food. —Amber Dowling, Variety, 2 May 2024

Leonard is president and CEO of Intellia, a biotech company founded in 2014 to take advantage of CRISPR, which makes precise edits to the genomes of cells. —John Leonard, TIME, 2 May 2024

In August, locals take advantage of the coastal winds for the largest and longest running kite festival in North America. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024

From the beginning, Tsuchiya took advantage of his star’s gullibility and eagerness to please: Nasubi, a show-biz neophyte, never so much as signed a contract outlining his rights as a participant. —Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024

Fleets typically work with distributors and utilities such as SDG&E to take advantage of the numerous federal, state and even municipally funded grants and pilot programs available to them. —San Diego Union Tribune, Orange County Register, 1 May 2024

Render Speed Testing Premiere Pro takes advantage of 64-bit CPUs and multiple cores. —PCMAG, 1 May 2024

The couple, who also share daughter Sterling Skye, 3, has been taking advantage of the Super Bowl-winning quarterback's time off lately, squeezing in multiple date nights. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1