take advantage of someone

take advantage of (someone or something)

1. To utilize or avail oneself of something to the fullest possible extent. We're taking advantage of the downturn in real estate sales to get a good deal on a house for ourselves. You should take advantage of the hotel's gym and pool while we're here.
2. To exploit someone or something for one's own purpose, gain, or agenda. It unfortunately very common for elderly people to fall prey to scam artists online, who take advantage of their lack of technological know-how. Advertisers try to take advantage of our basic need to feel included in a group, making us feel that we're somehow missing out if we aren't buying what they're selling.
3. To seduce someone into a sexual interaction who is naïve or incapable of giving full or proper consent. The doctor is accused of taking advantage of a number several different patients throughout the years. The man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after it was discovered he'd been taking advantage of kids in the camp.
See also: advantage, of, take

take advantage of someone

COMMON If someone takes advantage of you, they treat you unfairly for their own benefit, especially when you are trying to be kind or to help them. She took advantage of him even after they were divorced. `I hope Simon's paying you for this,' she said. `Don't let him take advantage of you.'
See also: advantage, of, someone, take
References in periodicals archive ?
Males were more likely to take advantage of someone sexually (p [less than or equal to] .
Consistent with past research (Berkowitz, 1992), this study demonstrated that men were significantly more likely to take advantage of someone sexually after heavy episodic drinking and women were more likely to be taken advantage of after heavy episodic drinking.
The relationships between heavy episodic drinking, sexual assaulting and being sexually assaulted for Southern Urban University students
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