Crossword Genius

Greed is a bad habit overwhelming a king (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

avarice

'greed' is the definition.
(avarice is a kind of greed)

'a bad habit overwhelming a king' is the wordplay.
'bad habit' becomes 'vice' (a sin or weakness).
'overwhelming' indicates putting letters inside.
'king' becomes 'r' (r is abbreviation for rex).
'a'+'r'='ar'
'vice' placed around 'ar' is 'varice'.
'a'+'varice'='AVARICE'

'is' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for avarice that I've seen before include "Extreme greed for wealth" , "Greed for gain" , "Eager desire" , "Insatiable lust" , "Parsimony" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.