‘补救’ is a compound verb meaning 'to remedy' or 'to salvage'—used when taking action to correct a mistake, reverse damage, or mitigate negative consequences after something has gone wrong. The character 补 (bǔ) means 'to supplement' or 'to make up for', while 救 (jiù) means 'to save' or 'to rescue'. Together, they emphasize both restoring what was lost and preventing further harm. It implies urgency and intentionality: the situation isn’t ideal, but timely intervention can still improve outcomes.

This word is commonly used in contexts like healthcare (e.g., correcting treatment errors), engineering (fixing structural flaws), education (addressing learning gaps), or daily life (apologizing and making amends). It carries a slightly formal or serious tone and is rarely used in casual speech unless referring to meaningful setbacks. Unlike simple verbs like ‘改正’ (to correct), ‘补救’ stresses that the problem has already occurred and active measures are needed to limit its impact.