Cryptic crossword clue
Holding head up, lying with pained expression in slang 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COUCHANT

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
U
C
H
A
N
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Holding head up, lying" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case holding head up, lying = couchant.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does COUCHANT mean?

COUCHANT adjective
  1. (of an animal) Lying with belly down and front legs extended; crouching.
  2. Represented as crouching with the head raised.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations