soft touch

American

noun

Informal.

a person who is easily convinced, especially to give or lend money.

a soft touch for charities.
a person who is easily influenced, duped, or imposed upon.

a soft touch for anybody with a sob story.
a person, team, etc., that is easily defeated.

They're a soft touch for any team in the league.
a task or activity that is easily or quickly done, especially a job that pays well and requires little work.

soft touch British

noun

informal a person easily persuaded or imposed on, esp to lend money

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

soft touch Idioms

Someone easily persuaded or taken advantage of, especially in giving away money. For example, Ask Dan for the money; he's always a soft touch. [First half of 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of soft touch

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

In a nation of noisy confrontationalists—the skillful soft touch replaced by the swing of a folding chair—reason is routinely drowned out by the loudest voices in the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

The mass brawl at the final whistle, coupled with a brilliant Euro 2025 quarter-final victory over Spain on Saturday, removed any doubt these Young Lions could be a soft touch.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2025

They didn’t intend to subsidize the state’s soft touch.

From Slate • Jun. 19, 2025

Gov. Andy Beshear often seems like a soft touch.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2024

And very slowly under that soft touch Ged roused.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023