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Meaning of rely in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions
  1. Pronunciation

    /rəˈlaɪ/

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  1. Verb

    rely

    Etymology

    Middle English: from Old French relier‘bind together’, from Latin religare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + ligare‘bind’. The original sense was ‘gather together’, later ‘turn to, associate with’, whence ‘depend upon with confidence’

    Definitions

    1. have confidence or faith in

    Examples

    • « We can trust in God »
    • « Rely on your friends »
    • « bank on your good education »
    • « I swear by my grandmother's recipes »

    Antonyms

    • distrust
    • mistrust
    • suspect
    • distrust
    • mistrust
    • suspect

    Derived terms

    • faith
    • reliance
    • trust

Famous quotes

  • « We live in a culture that doesn't acknowledge or validate human intuition and doesn't encourage us to rely on our intuitive wisdom. »
    Shakti Gawain
  • « The baby boomers are getting older, and will stay older for longer. And they will run right into the dementia firing range. How will a society cope? Especially a society that can't so readily rely on those stable family relationships that traditionally provided the backbone of care? »
    Terry Pratchett
  • « Restore human legs as a means of travel. Pedestrians rely on food for fuel and need no special parking facilities. »
    Lewis Mumford
  • « Young people ask me if this country is serious about science. They aren't thinking about the passport that they will hold, but the country that they must rely on for support and encouragement. »
    John Charles Polanyi
  • « To rely upon conviction, devotion, and other excellent spiritual qualities that is not to be taken seriously in politics. »
    Vladimir Lenin

Browse dictionary

  • reluctivity
  • reluctantly
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  • reluctance
  • rely
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  • REM
  • remain
  • remainder
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