Relying

Relying is the present participle of rely, a verb meaning to depend on someone or something for support, a result, or truth. It signals an ongoing or general act of depending on external factors rather than oneself.

In current usage, relying is typically followed by on or upon: relying on data, relying on a friend, or relying upon a warranty. The base verb rely is transitive and commonly paired with a prepositional object to express dependency. As a gerund, relying can function as a noun phrase, as in “Relying on others is common in collaborative work.” As a participle, it forms verb tenses such as “is relying” or “was relying” and can introduce participial phrases.

Nuance and context: relying often conveys trust or expectation of support. It can indicate prudent preparation and collaboration, but overreliance or misplaced reliance may imply risk or fragility, especially when critical factors are uncertain. In formal writing, “rely on” or “rely upon” is often preferred to convey explicit dependence.

Related terms include rely, reliance, dependence, and trust.