Dreaded people blocking progress (5)
I believe the answer is:
ogres
'dreaded people' is the definition.
'ogres' can be an answer for 'people' (ogre is a kind of person). I'm not certain of the 'dreaded' bit.
'blocking progress' is the wordplay.
'OGRES' is hidden within the letters.
But, I'm not sure how the hidden word is indicated.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ogres that I've seen before include "huge figures" , "Giants in fairytales" , "Gorse (anag.)" , "Man-eating giants of folklore" , "Giant types" .)