Make light of a patriarch delayed coming round (9)
I believe the answer is:
alleviate
'make light' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'a patriarch delayed coming round' is the wordplay.
'patriarch' becomes 'levi' (I have seen 'Hebrew patriarch' mean 'levi' so perhaps 'patriarch' could also mean 'levi').
'delayed' becomes 'late' (running late).
'coming round' is an insertion indicator.
'levi' placed inside 'late' is 'lleviate'.
'a'+'lleviate'='ALLEVIATE'
'of' is the link.
(Other definitions for alleviate that I've seen before include "Make better" , "dull" , "Assuage" , "Lighten" , "moderate" .)