The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word TUTTED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
U
T
T
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "sounded disapproving" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sounded disapproving = tutted.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 TUTTED mean?
TUTTED verb- To make a tut tut sound of disapproval.
- To work by the piece; to carry out tut-work.