The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word PHOBIA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
H
O
B
I
A
More clues leading to the result PHOBIA
- Fear ferret I introduced to father
- Perceived horror occasioned by irrational aversion, primarily?
- Fear of imitation ale, some might say
- Starts to pull hair out, being in abject fear
- Unorthodox bishop with answer for society’s hatred
- Fear a bishop, sadly lacking first sign of saintliness
- Fear of ferret I found in secretary’s clutches
- It’s a dreadful thing to have
- Quiet house facing endless prejudice and fear
- Fear that foreign flag-carrier entertains lout
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "It’s a dreadful thing to have" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it’s a dreadful thing to have = phobia.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 PHOBIA mean?
PHOBIA noun- An irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).