Crossword Genius

Excellent and fast, suppressing male illness (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ailment

'illness' is the definition.
(an ailment is an illness or health problem)

'excellent and fast suppressing male' is the wordplay.
'excellent' becomes 'ai' (resembles 'A1', old-fashioned term for excellent).
'and' says to put letters next to each other.
'fast' becomes 'lent' (Lent is a period of fasting in Christianity).
'suppressing' indicates putting letters inside.
'male' becomes 'm' (common abbreviation).
'lent' placed around 'm' is 'lment'.
'ai'+'lment'='AILMENT'

(Other definitions for ailment that I've seen before include "Physical disorder" , "I lament (anag.)" , "Tummy upset, for instance" , "Sickness" , "Minor illness" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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