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count upon

B2 formal inseparable transitive

Formal variant of 'count on' — to trust or depend on someone or something.

In plain English

To trust that someone or something will come through for you.

What does "count upon" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 B2 formal

To trust that a person, organisation, or circumstance will behave in a reliable or expected way.

"In times of crisis, the prime minister declared that citizens could count upon the government's full support."

inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To include something in your count as a certainty — mostly transparent.

Actually means

To trust that someone or something will come through for you.

Usage tip

Functionally identical to 'count on'. 'Count upon' is more formal and appears in written or literary English. Modern spoken English strongly prefers 'count on'.

Words that pair with "count upon"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

support loyalty integrity discretion promise assistance

How to conjugate "count upon"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
count upon
I/you/we/they
3rd person
counts upon
he/she/it
Past simple
counted upon
yesterday
Past participle
counted upon
have + pp
-ing form
counting upon
continuous

Hear "count upon" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "count upon" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

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