soft spot

noun

1. a place of especial vulnerability (Freq. 1)

• Syn: ↑weak part, ↑weak spot

• Ant: ↑good part (for: ↑weak part)

• Hypernyms: ↑weakness

• Hyponyms: ↑Achilles' heel, ↑jugular, ↑underbelly

2. a sentimental affection

-

she had a soft spot for her youngest son

• Hypernyms:

↑affection, ↑affectionateness, ↑fondness, ↑tenderness, ↑heart, ↑warmness, ↑warmheartedness, ↑philia

3. any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus

• Syn: ↑fontanelle, ↑fontanel

• Hypernyms: ↑orifice, ↑opening, ↑porta

• Hyponyms: ↑anterior fontanelle, ↑sphenoid fontanelle, ↑sphenoid fontanel, ↑sphenoidal fontanelle, ↑sphenoidal fontanel

• Part Holonyms: ↑cranium, ↑braincase, ↑brainpan, ↑child's body

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noun

1. : a sentimental weakness : an affectionate inclination : leaning

women have a soft spot for a man with a broken heart — Rearden Conner

2. : a vulnerable point

the major soft spot in the West's armor — World

3. : any business or department of the economy that displays weakness

some soft spots have appeared in a number of items, notably in stainless steel and in sheet and strip — Wall Street Journal

* * *

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.

[1835-45, Amer.]

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soft spot see under ↑spot

• • •

Main Entry: ↑soft

————————

soft spot (informal)

1. Affectionate feeling or weakness (for)

2. A fontanelle (informal)

• • •

Main Entry: ↑spot

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soft spot,

1. a weak part; condition open to attack; sensitive weakness: »

[His] soft spot as a social critic is that, sharp though his critical faculties are, he is of rather too amiable a disposition (Atlantic).

2. an area in the atmosphere where the winds are of lesser force than those around it: »

a type of radar that can spot rainfall and locate areas of rough air, enabling the pilot to avoid them or to find a “soft spot” through which he could fly safely (Wall Street Journal).

3. = fontanel (def. 1). (Cf. ↑fontanel)

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noun, pl ⋯ spots [count]

1 : a strong liking for someone or something

— usually singular

He has a soft spot for children. [=he likes children very much]

She has a soft spot for chocolate ice cream.

2 : a weak point that can be attacked

They found a soft spot in the enemy's defenses.