rely

To "rely" on something or someone is to have trust in that thing or that person. It’s very similar to the word "depend." When used as a verb, "rely" is almost always followed by the preposition "on."

• You can rely on Bill. He’s a very good worker and he always finishes things on time.
• Can we rely on Francine to get the job done?
• They can’t rely on Jeff anymore. He’s not a very responsible person.
• Helen relies on her car to get her to work every morning.
• Who do you rely on for help?
• We rely on our local grocery store for fresh produce.

You can rely on Alice to do a good job at work.

The word "reliable" is the adjective form of "rely."

• Ralph is a very reliable employee. He never misses a day of work.
• You need a reliable means of transportation to get to school every day.
• Sandra relies on her cell phone for many different things–not just making phone calls.

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This page was first published on April 10, 2012. It was updated on May 31, 2015.