Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

Band-Aid

American  
[band-eyd] / ˈbændˌeɪd /
Trademark.

  1. a brand of adhesive bandage with a gauze pad in the center, used to cover minor abrasions and cuts.

noun

  1. (often lowercase) a makeshift, limited, or temporary aid or solution that does not satisfy the basic or long-range need.

    The proposed reform isn't thorough enough to be more than just a band-aid.

adjective

  1. (often lowercase) serving as a makeshift, limited, or temporary aid or solution.

    band-aid measures to solve a complex problem.
Band-Aid British  
/ ˈbændˌeɪd /

noun

  1. a gauze surgical dressing backed by adhesive tape

  2. informal (sometimes not capitals) somethinɡ that provides a temporary solution to a problem

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Band-Aid

1965–70 Band-Aid for defs. 2, 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Retiree Orlando Ocana, 76, said the Russian shipment was a "Band-Aid."

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Many sleep experts worry a sleepcation is just a temporary Band-Aid for a broken work-life balance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

She brought the product over during one of their last visits — a Band-Aid solution that she devised because her client was having trouble bathing herself.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

“But if there’s a Band-Aid put on it in the short term or we get distracted by something so-called ‘good,’ it worries me for how bad it could be in the future.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025

He gave a little shrug and started flicking the Band-Aid he was holding.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.