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

And though their paths diverged after they respectively left Pierpoint, their soft spot for each other remains.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 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

But legends still have a soft spot for the old days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Allison had been in the lot two hours; she’d had a soft spot in her work schedule and come down.

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2025

I must admit, I have a soft spot for her because I’ve read her once and it was her writing that came to me in the dream.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak