A remedy is something that fixes a problem or makes a bad situation better. When you have a headache, aspirin might be the remedy that makes it go away. When a friendship hits a rough patch, an honest conversation could be the remedy that repairs it.

The word comes from medicine, where remedies are treatments that cure illnesses or relieve symptoms. A doctor might prescribe a remedy for a patient's condition. Your grandmother might have her own home remedies: honey and lemon for a sore throat, or ice for a twisted ankle.

But remedy works beyond medicine. If your classroom is too noisy for anyone to concentrate, moving to assigned seats might remedy the problem. If a law creates unfair outcomes, legislators might pass a new law to remedy the injustice. A remedy addresses the root cause, not just the surface problem.

The word also works as a verb: to remedy something means to fix or correct it. A teacher might remedy confusion about an assignment by explaining it more clearly. A coach might remedy a losing streak by changing the team's practice schedule.

When people say “the remedy is worse than the disease,” they mean the solution creates bigger problems than the original issue, like staying up all night studying and being too exhausted to think clearly on the test.