Humble hairdresser pedantically lifting covers (7)
I believe the answer is:
depress
'humble' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with human feelings as well as being verbs in their base form.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'hairdresser pedantically lifting covers' is the wordplay.
'covers' says the answer is hidden in the clue (I've seen 'covered' mean this (the answer is covered up by the clue)).
'lifting' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'sserped' is hidden in the letters of 'hairdresser pedantically'.
'sserped' written backwards gives 'DEPRESS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for depress that I've seen before include "Make dejected" , "Make downhearted" , "Push down or lower the spirit" , "Push, get, down" , "Bring down" .)