rely

[ ri-lahy ]

verb (used without object)

, re·lied, re·ly·ing.

1. to depend confidently; put trust in (usually followed by on or upon ):

   You can rely on her work.

   Synonyms: bank, count, trust

rely

/ rɪˈlaɪ /

verb

1. to be dependent (on)

   he relies on his charm

2. to have trust or confidence (in)

   you can rely on us

Other Words From

• misre·ly verb (used without object) misrelied misrelying

Word History and Origins

Origin of rely¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English relien, from Middle French relier, from Latin religāre “to bind fast, hold firmly”; re-, ligament

Word History and Origins

Origin of rely¹

C14: from Old French relier to fasten together, repair, from Latin religāre to tie back, from re- + ligāre to tie

Example Sentences

This time around, as they have before, they will rely on their community and network of supporters.

From Salon

As much as we loved being able to rely on the sound being great every night, there’s a great momentum to being on the road.

From Los Angeles Times

“We will teach ourselves to respect and rely on nature,” someone who identified himself as Mahoney wrote on Telegram.

From Salon

That would hurt Tesla’s unprofitable rivals that rely more on the tax credits to lure customers.

From Los Angeles Times

“We can only rely on specific tags to find the content or people we’re looking for. Beyond that, there’s no way to connect with an organization because such organizations don’t exist domestically,” Wen said.

From Los Angeles Times