Cryptic crossword clue
Lacking ability and dreadfully slow, per se 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word POWERLESS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
P
O
W
E
R
L
E
S
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Lacking ability" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lacking ability = powerless.
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 POWERLESS mean?

POWERLESS adjective
  1. Lacking sufficient power or strength.
  2. Lacking legal authority.

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