"soft spot" meaning in English

See soft spot in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /sɒft spɒt/ [Received-Pronunciation], /sɔːft spɒt/ [Received-Pronunciation], /sɔft spɑt/ [General-American], /sɑft spɑt/ [Canada, cot-caught-merger], /sɔft spɔt/ [General-Australian] Audio: En-au-soft spot.ogg [Australia] Forms: soft spots [plural]
enPR: sôft Etymology: Late 18th c. Head templates: {{en-noun}} soft spot (plural soft spots)
  1. (idiomatic) A sentimental fondness or affection. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: soft corner Translations (sentimental fondness or affection): lukkarinrakkaus (Finnish), faible [masculine] (French), Faible [neuter] (German), Schwäche [feminine] (German), veikleiki [masculine] (Icelandic), debole [masculine] (Italian), czułe miejsce [neuter] (Polish), сла́бость (slábostʹ) [feminine] (Russian), debilidad [feminine] (Spanish), сла́бкість (slábkistʹ) [feminine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-soft_spot-en-noun-wxYpYUEK Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 49 45 5 Disambiguation of 'sentimental fondness or affection': 97 2 1
  2. A point of vulnerability in a defence. Synonyms: weak spot Translations (point of vulnerability): heikko kohta (Finnish), heikkous (Finnish), point faible [masculine] (French), Schwachstelle [feminine] (German), veikur punktur [masculine] (Icelandic), veikur blettur [masculine] (Icelandic), snöggur blettur [masculine] (Icelandic), 弱点 (jakuten) (Japanese), 弱み (yowami) (Japanese), punct vulnerabil [neuter] (Romanian), уязви́мое ме́сто (ujazvímoje mésto) [neuter] (Russian), punto débil [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-soft_spot-en-noun-RrjoDhJ0 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 49 45 5 Disambiguation of 'point of vulnerability': 1 96 3
  3. A fontanelle.
    Sense id: en-soft_spot-en-noun-wa0hP9s8

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for soft spot meaning in English (5.5kB)

{
  "etymology_text": "Late 18th c.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soft spots",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "soft spot (plural soft spots)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "49 45 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “The Book I Read”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads",
          "text": "I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart / When I found out you wrote the book I read",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian",
          "text": "But although I happen to have a soft spot for nut roast – an option often preferable to the meat that emerged from the school kitchen – it seems I'm in a cranky minority.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sentimental fondness or affection."
      ],
      "id": "en-soft_spot-en-noun-wxYpYUEK",
      "links": [
        [
          "sentimental",
          "sentimental"
        ],
        [
          "fondness",
          "fondness"
        ],
        [
          "affection",
          "affection"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) A sentimental fondness or affection."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "soft corner"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "word": "lukkarinrakkaus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "faible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Faible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Schwäche"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "veikleiki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "debole"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "czułe miejsce"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "slábostʹ",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "сла́бость"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "debilidad"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 2 1",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "slábkistʹ",
          "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "сла́бкість"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "49 45 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A point of vulnerability in a defence."
      ],
      "id": "en-soft_spot-en-noun-RrjoDhJ0",
      "links": [
        [
          "vulnerability",
          "vulnerability"
        ],
        [
          "defence",
          "defence"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "weak spot"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "word": "heikko kohta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "word": "heikkous"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "point faible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Schwachstelle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "veikur punktur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "veikur blettur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "snöggur blettur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "jakuten",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "word": "弱点"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yowami",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "word": "弱み"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "punct vulnerabil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ujazvímoje mésto",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "уязви́мое ме́сто"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "point of vulnerability",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "punto débil"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fontanelle."
      ],
      "id": "en-soft_spot-en-noun-wa0hP9s8",
      "links": [
        [
          "fontanelle",
          "fontanelle"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɒft spɒt/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔːft spɒt/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔft spɑt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɑft spɑt/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔft spɔt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-soft spot.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/58/En-au-soft_spot.ogg/En-au-soft_spot.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/En-au-soft_spot.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sôft"
    }
  ],
  "word": "soft spot"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Late 18th c.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soft spots",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "soft spot (plural soft spots)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “The Book I Read”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads",
          "text": "I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart / When I found out you wrote the book I read",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian",
          "text": "But although I happen to have a soft spot for nut roast – an option often preferable to the meat that emerged from the school kitchen – it seems I'm in a cranky minority.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sentimental fondness or affection."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sentimental",
          "sentimental"
        ],
        [
          "fondness",
          "fondness"
        ],
        [
          "affection",
          "affection"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) A sentimental fondness or affection."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "soft corner"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A point of vulnerability in a defence."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "vulnerability",
          "vulnerability"
        ],
        [
          "defence",
          "defence"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "weak spot"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fontanelle."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fontanelle",
          "fontanelle"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɒft spɒt/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔːft spɒt/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔft spɑt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɑft spɑt/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɔft spɔt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-soft spot.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/58/En-au-soft_spot.ogg/En-au-soft_spot.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/En-au-soft_spot.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sôft"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "word": "lukkarinrakkaus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "faible"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Faible"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Schwäche"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "veikleiki"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "debole"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "czułe miejsce"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "slábostʹ",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "сла́бость"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "debilidad"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "slábkistʹ",
      "sense": "sentimental fondness or affection",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "сла́бкість"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "word": "heikko kohta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "word": "heikkous"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "point faible"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Schwachstelle"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "veikur punktur"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "veikur blettur"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "snöggur blettur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "jakuten",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "word": "弱点"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yowami",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "word": "弱み"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "punct vulnerabil"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ujazvímoje mésto",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "уязви́мое ме́сто"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "point of vulnerability",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "punto débil"
    }
  ],
  "word": "soft spot"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.