来源头条作者:英语老师讲英语
rely、depend和count都有“依赖，依靠；相信，信赖”或“指望”的意思，而且它们后面都可以跟on或者upon。比如：
They have to rely on the river for the water.他们用水只好依靠这条河。The country depends heavily on its tourist trade.国家（的经济
）很大程度上依赖其旅游业。I count on my friend to help me.我指望我的朋友帮我。
这个三个意思相近的动词在具体使用时，还是有些不同的，仅供大家参考，因为语言在使用中跟具体的语境等有很大关系。
1.rely表示所依靠或者信赖的人或事不会令人失望。比如：
You should rely on your own judgement.你应该相信你自己的判断。You can rely on me to keep your secret.你可以相信我一定会为你保守秘密。He can\’t be relied on to tell the truth.不能指望他说真话。
He relies on his father to help him out of trouble.他总是靠父亲帮助解决困难。He is the kind of physician upon whom all his patients rely.他是病人所信赖的那种内科医生。
2.depend多表示基于过去的经验或者因为认为某人(或者某物)会提供帮助或支持，从而信赖、依赖、依靠某人或者某物。这个词含有缺少自力更生的含义，甚至有软弱的含义，也含有因极度信赖而没有任何别的准备的意思。比如：
He did not depend his own judgement, but his reliance on mine made everything easy.他不按自己的判断行事，可是因为他依赖我的判断，所以一切都很顺利。
The man was always getting himself into debt and depended on the his wife to get him out.那个男人总是负债累累，靠妻子帮他还债。
3.count与depend相比，含有比depend更大的期望，但是如果期望落空就会陷于失望、绝望。这个词在实际运用中所表示的期望程度比要比我们常用的expect稍稍强些。比如：
You can count on me. I will help you.你可以依靠我。我会帮着你。I will retire. I am going to get a pension. I count on it.我要退休了，我将有养老金。我就指望这笔钱了。
The boy’ parents died. He counts on his uncle for his bread and butter.这个男孩的父母去世了。他全依赖叔叔养活他。You cannot count on the weather being fine.你别指望天气会变好。
