# rely

/ɹiˈɫaɪ/ (US) · /ɹɪlˈaɪ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rely
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

to need or trust someone or something to help you. You use this when you cannot do something alone and must depend on another person or tool.

For teachers: to depend on someone or something with full trust or confidence; to be dependent on for support or success. Intransitive — requires a prepositional complement to function.

## Examples

- I rely on my alarm clock to wake me up.
- Many small businesses rely on social media to reach new customers without spending a fortune on advertising.
- Modern infrastructure has become so interconnected that urban populations now rely on stable satellite data for everything from financial transactions to emergency response coordination.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I rely my parents for money" but "I rely on my parents for money" — Rely is an intransitive verb and cannot take a direct object; it must be followed by the preposition 'on'.

## Usage notes

- The verb is intransitive and almost always takes the preposition 'on' or 'upon' before the object.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.