Xmas season to bode ill, ultimately? (4)
I believe the answer is:
noel
'xmas' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'season to bode ill ultimately?' is the wordplay.
'ultimately?' says to take the final letters (I've seen 'ultimately' mean this).
The last letters of 'season to bode ill' are 'NOEL'.
(Other definitions for noel that I've seen before include "Christmas; man's name" , "Girl - boy - Christmas" , "Festivity" , "Christmas carol" , "namely 4 [COWARD]" .)