Crossword Genius

Relaxed about exercise, Charlie appreciated (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

respected

'appreciated' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'relaxed about exercise charlie' is the wordplay.
'relaxed' becomes 'rested' (I've seen this before**).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'exercise' becomes 'pe' (Physical Education).
'charlie' becomes 'c' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'pe'+'c'='pec'
'rested' going around 'pec' is 'RESPECTED'.

(Other definitions for respected that I've seen before include "Held in high regard" , "Held in esteem" , "Looked up to" , "Regarded highly" , "'Esteemed, showed deference to (9)'" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.