Crossword Genius

Ill-fated actors dress badly (4-7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

star-crossed

'ill-fated' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'actors dress badly' is the subsidiary indication.
'badly' indicates an anagram.
'actors'+'dress'='actorsdress'
'actorsdress' with letters rearranged gives 'starcrossed'.

(Other definitions for star-crossed that I've seen before include "Ill-fated (lovers, usually)" , "Thwarted by bad luck" , "Shakespeare's description of Romeo and Juliet as lovers" , "Like the lovers Romeo and Juliet" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app