Crossword Genius

Love a lout and I spoiled (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

adulation

'love' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'a lout and i spoiled' is the wordplay.
'spoiled' indicates an anagram.
'lout'+'and'+'i'='loutandi'
'loutandi' anagrammed gives 'dulation'.
'a'+'dulation'='ADULATION'

(Other definitions for adulation that I've seen before include "Adoration, idolisation" , "Excessive admiration" , "Servile flattery" , "Worshipping" , "Hero-worship" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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.