Shocking former sweetheart, guy hugs Romeo (9)
I believe the answer is:
execrable
'shocking' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'former sweetheart guy hugs romeo' is the wordplay.
'former' becomes 'ex' (prefix meaning former or onetime).
'sweetheart' becomes 'e' (the middle letter or heart of 'sweet').
'guy' becomes 'cable' (I've seen this in another clue).
'hugs' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'romeo' becomes 'r' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'cable' enclosing 'r' is 'crable'.
'ex'+'e'+'crable'='EXECRABLE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for execrable that I've seen before include "Appallingly bad" , "Awful" , "Abominable, detestable" , "terrible" , "Loathsome" .)