An ear of awful ugliness (3)
I believe the answer is:
lug
'an ear' is the definition.
(informal term for an ear)
'of awful ugliness' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates a hidden word.
'LUG' can be found hidden inside 'awful ugliness'.
(Other definitions for lug that I've seen before include "Projecting piece; haul" , "Carry with difficulty" , "Drag or carry with effort" , "Drag, haul" , "Drag with effort; ear" .)