To count on somebody is to trust them to be there when it matters. Not hoping — assuming.
It takes a person or a thing, so you count on a friend and you count on the weather, and only one of those is wise. The phrase carries real weight, since telling somebody you are counting on them places an obligation. Rely on and depend on do the same job more formally. There is a common warning in do not count on it, which means it is unlikely to happen.
1phrasecount onTo rely on someone or something with confidence.
“You can count on him to be there early.”
Also accepted in games: rely on, depend on
Practised in Phrasal Verbs, A Man Called Ove
First appears in chapter 16 of A Man Called Ove.
Practise this word