It's the very reverse of a bit of malevolence! (4)

I believe the answer is:

love

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'it's the' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'reverse of a bit of malevolence' is the wordplay.
'reverse of' says the letters should be written backwards.
'a bit of' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'evol' is hidden within 'malevolence'.
'evol' back-to-front is 'LOVE'.

'very' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for love that I've seen before include "Deep affection" , "Zero score (it's all you need)" , "Nothing for Andy Murray" , "affair? On the contrary" , "See 22" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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.