maximise vs exploit

maximise is not a noun while exploit is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
maximise	No	No	Yes	No
exploit	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, exploit is a hypernym of maximise; that is, exploit is a word with a broader meaning than maximise:

Other hypernyms of maximise include tap.

maximise (noun)	exploit (noun)
	a notable achievement

maximise (verb)	exploit (verb)
make as big or large as possible	use or manipulate to one's advantage
make the most of	draw from; make good use of
	work excessively hard