soft spot

American  

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.

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soft spot British  

noun

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

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soft spot Idioms  

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

2. 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.”

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Etymology

Origin of soft spot

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soft spot

I’ve always held a soft spot for the Forgotten Child types in fiction, which is easy enough since they’re usually the ones who are interesting enough to feature in TV series and movies.

From Salon ● May 20, 2026

One soft spot for the quarter came in the form of royalty payments, indicating that shipments of Arm-based chips may have been lower than expected during the period.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

Trump has a well-known soft spot for the British monarchy, which his mother greatly respected, and is the only U.S. president to have been invited on two royal state visits to the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

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

Adria had a soft spot for turtles too, but I was surprised when she ran into the empty street and picked up the flattened thing.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles