exert vs use

exert

verb
  • To make use of, to apply, especially of something non-material. 

  • To put in vigorous action. 

use

verb
  • To employ; to apply; to utilize. 

  • To habitually do; to be wont to do. (Now chiefly in past-tense forms; see used to.) 

  • To benefit from; to be able to employ or stand. 

  • To consume (alcohol, drugs, etc), especially regularly. 

  • To expend; to consume by employing. 

  • To accustom; to habituate. (Now common only in participial form. Uses the same pronunciation as the noun; see usage notes.) 

  • To exploit. 

  • To consume a previously specified substance, especially a drug to which one is addicted. 

  • To suggest or request that other people employ a specific set of gender pronouns when referring to the subject. 

noun
  • A function; a purpose for which something may be employed. 

  • Occasion or need to employ; necessity. 

  • Usefulness, benefit. 

  • The act of using. 

  • A special form of a rite adopted for use in a particular context, often a diocese. 

  • A slab of iron welded to the side of a forging, such as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging. 

  • The act of consuming alcohol or narcotics. 

How often have the words exert and use occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )