Miserable kind of clue this ultimately is (4)
I believe the answer is:
down
'miserable' is the definition.
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for down that I've seen before include "Soft feathers; direction" , "Depressed - feathers" , "Pillow filler - dejected" , "like the other set of clues" , "Where this clue is going" .)