Meaning & use
count on
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To rely on someone or something with confidence that they will help or behave as expected.
Grammar: Takes an object: count on me. Often followed by a noun, pronoun, or -ing form.
Patterns
- count on someone
- count on something
- count on someone to do something
- count on doing something
You can always count on your family for support.
We're counting on the weather being nice for the picnic.
I count on my alarm clock to wake me up every morning.
verbtransitive
To expect something to happen and plan according to that expectation.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used in the progressive: I'm counting on it.
Patterns
- count on something happening
- count on it
- be counting on something
Don't count on getting a promotion this year; the budget is tight.
We can count on traffic being heavy on Friday afternoons.
The team is counting on a win to make the playoffs.
Common combinations
- count on someone for something
- She counts on her brother for advice.
- count on someone to do something
- I can count on him to keep a secret.
- count on it
- If you need help, you can count on it.
- be counting on something
- The whole team is counting on your support.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rely on
- Rely on is very similar but slightly more formal and often suggests dependence; count on is more common in everyday speech.
- depend on
- Depend on can suggest that something is necessary for success, while count on focuses on trust that someone will do what is expected.
- trust
- Trust focuses on believing someone is honest or reliable, while count on focuses on expecting help or a particular outcome.
Word family
- countable adjective
- Able to be counted; not related in meaning to 'count on'.
- countdown noun
- The act of counting backwards to zero, as before a rocket launch.
Commonly confused: count on or count in?
count on vs count in
Count in means to include someone in an activity ('Count me in!'), while count on means to rely on someone.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'I know I can ______ you to help me move.'
Choose one answer.
Count on means to rely on someone, which fits the idea of trusting someone to help. Count in means to include someone, count up means to add numbers, and count out means to exclude or count items one by one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “count on”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.