soft touch

American

noun

Informal.

a person who is easily convinced, especially to give or lend money.

a soft touch for charities.
a person who is easily influenced, duped, or imposed upon.

a soft touch for anybody with a sob story.
a person, team, etc., that is easily defeated.

They're a soft touch for any team in the league.
a task or activity that is easily or quickly done, especially a job that pays well and requires little work.

soft touch British

noun

informal a person easily persuaded or imposed on, esp to lend money

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

soft touch Idioms

Someone easily persuaded or taken advantage of, especially in giving away money. For example, Ask Dan for the money; he's always a soft touch. [First half of 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of soft touch

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

soft touch

It may also cause them to see you as a soft touch who they can tap for money at any time, and who feels obliged to give.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026

They didn’t intend to subsidize the state’s soft touch.

From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2025

Cracked Cronin: “The whole key to that is the loving, soft touch of the head coach.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2024

But it also wants to be seen as not be seen as a "soft touch" by some on welfare payments.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2024

And very slowly under that soft touch Ged roused.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023