rely

rely — verb

1. to need someone or something in order to keep living, working, or existing — a f

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to need someone or something in order to keep living, working, or existing — a factory relies on its power supply, or an older parent relies on adult children for everyday help.

例句

After the flood destroyed her apartment, Aoi relied on friends for a place to sleep.

rely on + noun + for + noun (dependency pattern)

The village clinic relies on a single generator to keep vaccines cold during power cuts.

rely on + noun + to-infinitive (organisation)

同義詞
  • depend on

    interchangeable with 'rely on' in this sense; no difference in meaning or register

  • count on

    slightly more informal; emphasises expectation rather than need

  • lean on

    more informal; often suggests emotional or personal support rather than material help

反義詞

文法句型

rely on/upon + noun/pronoun

rely on/upon + noun/pronoun + for + noun

rely on/upon + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Always used with the preposition 'on' (or, more formally, 'upon'). The object of the preposition names the source of support. Do not write or say 'rely' without a preposition — 'I rely my brother' is incorrect.

常見錯誤

❌She relies her parents for money.
✅She relies on her parents for money.
💡'Rely' must always be followed by 'on' (or 'upon') before the object.
❌The system relies to work properly.
✅The system relies on regular updates to work properly.
💡'Rely' cannot take a to-infinitive directly; it needs an object after 'on'.

2. to feel certain that someone will do what they have promised or that a piece of

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to feel certain that someone will do what they have promised or that a piece of information is correct — for example, relying on a friend to keep a secret, or relying on a weather forecast when planning an outdoor event.

例句

Christopher relied on the train timetable, but the 7:15 service was cancelled without any notice.

rely on + information that proves wrong

Lucía relied on her best friend to keep the secret until the right moment.

rely on + person + to-infinitive (trust)

同義詞
  • trust

    broader meaning and does not require the preposition 'on'; 'trust someone' vs 'rely on someone'

  • count on

    more informal; interchangeable in most trust-related contexts

  • bank on

    informal; expresses strong expectation that something will happen

反義詞
  • distrust

    strong opposite — actively doubt someone's reliability

  • doubt

    less strong than distrust; questions the truth or reliability of something

文法句型

rely on/upon + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

rely on/upon + noun/pronoun

用法筆記

Always used with 'on' or 'upon'. This sense emphasises trust and confidence, not material need. It is often used with modal verbs such as 'can', 'could', 'should', and 'must'. The structure 'rely on + object + to-infinitive' is the most common pattern for expressing trust in a person's action.

常見錯誤

❌I rely you to keep quiet.
✅I rely on you to keep quiet.
💡Same preposition rule as sense 1: 'on' must follow 'rely'.
❌I rely that the information is correct.
✅I rely on the information being correct.' or 'I trust that the information is correct.
💡'Rely' cannot introduce a that-clause.