soft spot
Americannoun
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a weak or vulnerable position, place, condition, etc..
a soft spot in their fortifications; a soft spot in the economy.
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emotional susceptibility.
a soft spot for dogs and babies.
noun
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A weak or vulnerable point, as in That's the soft spot in his argument . [Mid-1900s]
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have a soft spot for . Have a tender or sentimental feeling for, as in Grandpa had a soft spot for Brian, his first grandson . This expression, first recorded in 1753 as “a soft place in one's heart,” uses soft in the sense of “tender.”
Etymology
Origin of soft spot
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
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.
I have a soft spot for used bookstores: Visiting one in every new city has become a ritual of sorts for me.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2026
Berkshire’s purchase of New York Times marks a trip down memory lane for the company since Berkshire has long had a soft spot for the newspaper business.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
The English have a soft spot for their pubs and Starmer said his government will offer them some help, though no one is sure exactly what it will be.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026
Returning to George, who has his own spacious enclosure, Mrs Mansfield - though always cautious around him - clearly has a soft spot for the reptile.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
Dallas’s sneaker is resting on the soft spot right below my solar plexus.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
