bandage
gb/bˈændɪd͡ʒ/ us/bˈændɪd͡ʒ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
strip of material for a wound
A piece of cloth you wrap around a cut or injury.
Usage pattern:
put a bandage on [a wound/body part]
Common mistake:
Learners may use bandage for any medical covering; a bandage is usually something you wrap (not necessarily sticky).
Synonyms
dressing (More general term for a wound covering; may not be wrapped.)
|
wrap (Emphasizes wrapping for support rather than covering a wound.)
Collocations
apply a bandage
|put on a bandage
|wrap a bandage around
|remove the bandage
|change the bandage
|a clean bandage
|a sterile bandage
|a tight bandage
|a compression bandage
|bandage material
Themes
health
|medicine
|daily_life
Examples
- The nurse wrapped a bandage around his ankle to reduce the swelling.
- Change the bandage every day to keep the cut clean.
- She loosened the bandage because it was cutting off circulation.
Learner examples
- I put a bandage on my finger.
- The bandage is too tight.
Noun
B1
entity
2
small sticky strip for cuts
A small sticky cover for a small cut.
Usage pattern:
put a bandage on [a cut]
Common mistake:
In British English this is often called a plaster; in American English Band-Aid is a common brand name.
Synonyms
plaster (Common British English term for a small adhesive bandage.)
Collocations
an adhesive bandage
|a waterproof bandage
|a fabric bandage
|a plastic bandage
|a small bandage
|a bandage strip
|a box of bandages
|put a bandage on it
|a bandage for a cut
|a bandage for a blister
Themes
health
|daily_life
Examples
- He put a bandage on the scrape on his knee.
- Keep a few bandages in your bag in case someone gets a cut.
- This bandage won’t stay on when it gets wet.
Learner examples
- I need a bandage for my cut.
Verb
B1
action
3
cover or wrap a wound
To put a bandage on an injury.
Usage pattern:
bandage [a wound/body part]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse bandage (verb) with band (noun) or bandage (noun).
Synonyms
dress (More formal/medical; often means clean and cover a wound, not only wrap it.)
|
wrap (Focuses on winding material around something; may not be medical.)
Antonyms
unbandage (To remove a bandage from an injured part.)
Collocations
bandage a wound
|bandage an ankle
|bandage a knee
|bandage the injury
|bandage it tightly
|bandage it loosely
|bandage up a cut
|bandage someone’s arm
|bandage the area
|properly bandaged
Themes
health
|medicine
Examples
- The doctor bandaged her hand and told her to keep it dry.
- He bandaged the cut quickly before the bleeding got worse.
- They bandaged his leg and helped him to the car.
Learner examples
- She bandaged my arm.
Verb
C1
action
4
deal with a problem superficially
To cover a problem without really fixing it.
Usage pattern:
bandage over [a problem/issue]
Common mistake:
This figurative use is less common than the medical meaning; learners may sound unclear without context.
Synonyms
paper over (Common figurative alternative meaning to hide or quickly cover a problem.)
|
patch up (Often means make a quick temporary repair; can be literal or figurative.)
Antonyms
address (To deal with the real cause or main issue directly.)
Collocations
bandage over the cracks
|bandage over the issue
|bandage over the problem
|bandage over deeper conflicts
|a bandaged-over mistake
Themes
communication
|business
|social_issues
Examples
- The new policy just bandages over the problem instead of fixing it.
- They tried to bandage over the conflict with a vague apology.
- A quick payment might bandage over complaints for a while, but it won’t rebuild trust.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bandage
IPA
GB/bˈændɪd͡ʒ/
US/bˈændɪd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
band - age (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (band)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bandage
- Plural: bandage, bandages
Verb
- Base: bandage
- 3rd Person Singular: bandages
- Present Participle: bandaging
- Past: bandaged
Word family
Forms
bandages
noun
bandaging
verb
bandaged
verb
Related words
band
noun A2
Expressions
bandage up
1/bˈændɪd͡ʒ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
wrap injuries with bandages
To put bandages on an injury.
Examples
- Let me bandage you up before we leave.
- He bandaged up his knee and went back to work.
- The medic bandaged up the wound as best she could.
put a bandage on it
1/pˈʊt ə bˈændɪd͡ʒ ˈɔn ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
make a quick temporary fix
To fix something only for a short time.
Examples
- They put a bandage on the budget crisis, but the underlying costs are still rising.
- Restarting the server will put a bandage on it, but we need a real fix.
- The apology felt like they were just putting a bandage on it.
rip the bandage off
1/ɹˈɪp ðə bˈændɪd͡ʒ ˈɔf/
idiom
informal
do something painful quickly
To do something hard quickly, without waiting.
Examples
- We should rip the bandage off and tell them the decision today.
- I finally ripped the bandage off and asked for a refund.
- Just rip the bandage off—start the conversation and get it over with.