soft spot

noun

1. a weak or vulnerable position, place, condition, etc..

   a soft spot in their fortifications; a soft spot in the economy.

2. emotional susceptibility.

   a soft spot for dogs and babies.

soft spot

noun

1. a sentimental fondness (esp in the phrase have a soft spot for )

Word History and Origins

Origin of soft spot¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Idioms and Phrases

A weak or vulnerable point, as in That's the soft spot in his argument . [Mid-1900s]

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.”