noun
reliability; dependability; trustworthiness
Refers to the quality of being someone you can rely on or ask for help; often used in phrases like 頼み甲斐のある人 (a reliable person).
彼は本当に頼み甲斐のある友人だ。
He is a truly reliable friend.
頼み甲斐のない人に仕事を任せるのは不安だ。
It's worrying to entrust work to an unreliable person.
頼りになる is a more common, everyday expression meaning 'reliable' or 'dependable,' while 頼み甲斐 is a noun that emphasizes the worth or merit of relying on someone.
信頼 is a general noun for 'trust' or 'confidence,' whereas 頼み甲斐 specifically focuses on the quality of being worth asking for help or relying on.
Compound of 頼み (request, reliance) and 甲斐 (worth, effect). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of 'worth relying on.'