Crossword Genius

Optimist panned drunken failure (14)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

disappointment

'failure' is the definition.
(I know that disappointment is a type of failure)

'optimist panned drunken' is the wordplay.
'drunken' is an anagram indicator.
'optimist'+'panned'='optimistpanned'
'optimistpanned' with letters rearranged gives 'DISAPPOINTMENT'.

(Other definitions for disappointment that I've seen before include "Let-down" , "Setback" , "unhappiness" , "Frustrating thing" , "Frustration" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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