Much admired, she sounds a dope! (7)
I believe the answer is:
heroine
'a dope' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'much admired she sounds' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'she' could be 'her' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'her' is located in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for heroine that I've seen before include "Chief female character in a book" , "Eg, Emma, Jane Eyre" , "Woman of outstanding courage" , "Woman of courageous achievements" , "Intrepid woman" .)