Dictator was generous at heart (4)
I believe the answer is:
nero
'dictator' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'was generous at heart' is the wordplay.
'at heart' says the answer is hidden in the clue (letters hidden in the heart of the clue).
'NERO' is hidden within 'was generous'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for nero that I've seen before include "Emperor, 'burnt' Rome" , "Roman Emperor, 54-68 AD" , "Emperor said to have fiddled as Rome burned" , "Notorious Roman emperor, d. AD 68" , "He's reputed to have fiddled while Rome burned" .)