What does the cryptic crossword clue "River in a bad way — just a brook (4)" mean?

The definition is "a brook". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). R (abbreviation="River") + ILL (synonym="bad") = RILL; definition: "a brook" The answer is RILL.

River in a bad way — just a brook (4)

Guardian Cryptic #29112 | 6 Down | 2023-07-03 flower

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