rely
verbWord OriginMiddle 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’, which led to the sense ‘depend upon with confidence’.
Word Family
- rely verb
- reliable adjective (≠ unreliable)
- reliably adverb
- reliability noun (≠ unreliability)
- reliance noun
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they rely | |
| he / she / it relies | |
| past simple relied | |
| past participle relied | |
| -ing form relying |