soft on
Idioms-
Attracted to or emotionally involved with, as in He's been soft on Margaret for years . This usage was first recorded in 1840.
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Not stern, lenient, especially too much so. For example, Some think the court has been soft on violent protesters . This usage was first recorded in 1883.
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.
Criticism, she said plainly, comes from all sides: that she is too soft on the Cuban government, or too critical of it; that she says too little about the U.S. embargo, or too much.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Orban’s government may also have been soft on environmental and labor questions.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
Toward the end of Elizabeth II’s reign, critics argued that the queen had been too soft on her son Andrew.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
And, sure, if you squint, maybe the foot traffic at the Luxor looks a little soft on a Wednesday.
From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025
He touches me real soft on the back of the neck and says, "I didn't ask you a question, boy. Rule number one, don't sass your old man."
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
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.
