Phrasal verb
count upon
Meanings
to rely on a person for help, support, or for doing what they said they would do
to expect something to happen or be true, especially when planning
Definition
To count upon someone or something means to rely on them with confidence.
If you count upon someone, you trust that they will do what they promised or what is needed. You can also count upon something, meaning you expect it to happen or be true. It is similar to “rely on” or “depend on,” and it often implies confidence in a result.
Examples
- I can count upon you to keep this information private.
- You can count upon the train being crowded at rush hour.
- She counted upon her teammate to finish the final slide before the meeting.
- They count upon good communication to avoid mistakes during the event.
Common mistake
Learners often say "count on" and "count upon" with the wrong structure, forgetting to add "to + verb" (e.g., "count upon you help" instead of "count upon you to help").
More phrasal verbs
- go on To go on means to continue or keep happening.
- carry out To carry out something means to do it or complete it, especially a plan, task, or instruction.
- set up To set up means to arrange or prepare something so it is ready to use or happen.
- pick up “Pick up” most commonly means to collect someone or something from a place, usually by going there.
- go back To go back means to return to a place, time, or earlier situation.