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Meaning & use

take advantage of

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/teɪk ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ ɒv/
US/teɪk ədˈvæntɪdʒ ʌv/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    To make good use of a chance, offer or situation so that you benefit from it.

    Grammar: Followed by an object: take advantage of the sale; the verb 'take' changes tense, the rest stays fixed.

    Patterns

    • take advantage of something
    • take full advantage of something

    We took advantage of the sunny weather and ate lunch outside.

    You should take advantage of the free training your company offers.

    Many shoppers take advantage of the January sales.

  2. phrasephrasal verbdisapproving

    To treat someone unfairly by using their kindness, weakness or trust for your own gain.

    Grammar: Takes a person as the object; usually negative: he took advantage of her kindness.

    Patterns

    • take advantage of someone
    • take advantage of someone's kindness

    The salesman took advantage of the elderly customer's trust.

    Don't let your friends take advantage of your generosity.

    The landlord took advantage of the tenants by raising the rent without notice.

Word forms

third person singulartakes advantage of
past tensetook advantage of
past participletaken advantage of
-ing formtaking advantage of

Common combinations

take full advantage of
The team took full advantage of their opponents' mistakes.
take advantage of an opportunity
She took advantage of the opportunity to study abroad.
take advantage of someone's kindness
He never takes advantage of his neighbor's kindness.
feel taken advantage of
The employees felt taken advantage of after the unpaid overtime.
unfairly take advantage of
The company was accused of unfairly taking advantage of its suppliers.

Synonyms and how they differ

exploit
Exploit works for both resources and people but often sounds more severe and negative than take advantage of.
capitalize on
Capitalize on is more formal and is mostly used for opportunities, not for treating people unfairly.
make use of
Make use of is neutral and does not carry any suggestion of unfairness.
abuse
Abuse is much stronger than take advantage of when speaking of people.

Opposites

misswaste

Word family

advantage noun
a favorable position or benefit
advantageous adjective
giving a benefit
disadvantage noun
an unfavorable condition
advantageously adverb
in a way that gives a benefit

Commonly confused: take advantage of or take the advantage of?

take advantage of vs take the advantage of

This is a mistake. The phrase has no 'the': take advantage of.

Practice

Which sentence suggests someone was treated unfairly?

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