Crossword Genius

Feeling low and close to dismayed (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mood

'feeling' is the definition.
(mood is a kind of feeling)

'low and close to dismayed' is the wordplay.
'low' becomes 'moo' (both can mean to make the noise of a cow).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'close to' indicates one should take the final letters (the 'close' to the word).
The last letter of 'dismayed' is 'd'.
'moo'+'d'='MOOD'

(Other definitions for mood that I've seen before include "at times appears very high" , "Bad feeling" , "Emotional state" , "sullenness may be indicative" , "melancholy" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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