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.”

Example Sentences

He got right to work, watching the East German guards, learning their schedules and routines, looking for soft spots.

Read more on Literature

The labor market’s soft spots prompted the Federal Reserve to start cutting its benchmark interest rate in September, following that up with another cut last week.

Read more on MarketWatch

He also seemed to harbor a soft spot for the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I definitely understood why Véronique has “a soft spot” for this place.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But after noticing that Molly's fontanelle - the soft spot on the top of her head - was bulging when she was 12 weeks, a doctor in A&E diagnosed a large brain tumour.

Read more on BBC