Exhausted demagogue intended hostility (8)
I believe the answer is:
defiance
'hostility' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I can't see?
'exhausted demagogue intended' is the wordplay.
'exhausted' suggests removing the centre (the word is emptied out or exhausted).
'intended' becomes 'fiance' (someone's 'intended' is who they are due to marry).
'demagogue' with its middle taken out is 'de'.
'de'+'fiance'='DEFIANCE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for defiance that I've seen before include "Challenging attitude" , "Resistance to authority" , "Aggressiveness" , "Bold disobedience" , "bold opposition" .)