Dismal medic unknown to receive attention (6)
I believe the answer is:
dreary
'dismal' is the definition.
(I know that dismal can be written as dreary)
'medic unknown to receive attention' is the wordplay.
'medic' becomes 'dr' (doctor).
'unknown' becomes 'y' (algebra).
'to receive' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'attention' becomes 'ear' (having someone's ear is having their attention).
'dr'+'y'='dry'
'dry' going around 'ear' is 'DREARY'.
(Other definitions for dreary that I've seen before include "Depressingly dull" , "Dull and depressing" , "Dismal, funeral" , "Dismal, funereal" , "Monotonous" .)