depend
(verb)
past tense: depended
LISTEN
"Do you like rock music?" "It depends."
If something depends on something, it means that if one thing changes, the other thing will change too.
- “Would you like to go for a walk later?” “That depends on the weather!”
If you depend on something or someone, it means that you need them.
- They depend on the money they get from the government.
- Her children depend on her.
Common uses
When the answer to a question is sometimes yes and sometimes no, we often say, “It depends.” For example, “Do you like rock music?” “It depends. I like some songs but not all of them.”
Related words
If someone is independent, it means that they don’t depend on anyone. For example, “I want to get a job so I can be independent.” The in- at the start of independent has the same meaning as not.
In pop culture
Do you know the song “Independent Women” by Destiny’s Child? It’s about women who don’t depend on men. They don’t need men to buy them things. Listen to these words in the song: “The house I live in, I bought it. The car I’m driving, I bought it. I depend on me.”
There are other meanings of depend.
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