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Glite Dictionary
✨ An easy fix 💊 A perfect cure
magic bullet

magic bullet

1 5.5
A treatment like a drug that cures or prevents a disease quickly and effectively
  • noun
  • /ˈmædʒɪk ˈbʌlɪt/
translation icon : cura milagrosa
  • Consequently, the Cremona varnish has become a creature of legend, the magic bullet that could transform any instrument (or maker) into a Stradivari.
  • magic bullet that would cure

Examples

  • The idea of a magic bullet that can instantly solve complex health issues is appealing but often unrealistic.

  • This is the silver magic bullet for for fungus and yeast.

  • So this is indeed a magic bullet which selectively blocks the on system and has no significant effect on the off system.

  • So in that sense, this magic bullet can't be the the permanent final answer.

  • Researchers are hopeful that the new vaccine will act as a magic bullet against the disease.

  • Many believe that a magic bullet exists that can effectively cure cancer without harsh side effects.

Synonyms

cure
vsmagic bullet
771 2.5

A medicine or treatment that makes an illness go away

is presented as a faster, more ideal medical solution rather than ordinary care
remedy
vsmagic bullet
77 3.4

A medicine or treatment that treats illness and reduces pain

is framed as a quick, ideal fix rather than a regular medical aid
silver bullet
vsmagic bullet
  • Informal
6 5.3

A simple answer that seems to fix a very hard problem quickly

applies specifically to medical cures, stressing rapid and ideal results
curative treatment
vsmagic bullet
  • Specialized
3.8

A medical treatment that removes a disease completely

is thought to work quickly and perfectly rather than slowly or partially

Antonyms

ineffective treatment
1 3.7

Care or medicine that does not make someone better

How Effective

magic bullet
1 5.5
to cure
549 2.4
remedy
77 3.4
treatment
  • Specialized
∞ 2.1

Surface Forms

magic bullet singular
magic bullets plural

Morphology

magic + bullet

A learner who knows 'magic' (supernatural, very effective) and 'bullet' (a single projectile/decisive action) can infer a metaphorical idea of a single powerful fix, so the general concept is partially predictable. However, the full idiomatic nuance—that it denotes a simple, highly effective solution often hoped for but unlikely—goes beyond literal composition and relies on cultural usage, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Magic bullet may come from early medicine, when doctors hoped for one drug that would strike a disease like a bullet and work as if by magic. The image of a perfect 'cure' that hits the problem explains why the phrase now means a fast, very effective medical treatment.