noun
Meaning 1
A sentimental fondness or affection.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: soft corner
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
soft spot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /sɒft spɒt/
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Received-Pronunciation: /sɔːft spɒt/
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General-American: sôft
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General-American: /sɔft spɑt/
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cot-caught-merger: /sɑft spɑt/
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Australian: /sɔft spɔt/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
noun
Meaning 2
A point of vulnerability in a defence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: weak spot
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A fontanelle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
a place of especial vulnerability
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: weak part, weak spot
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: weakness
Narrower terms: Achilles' heel, jugular, underbelly
noun
Meaning 5
any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fontanelle, fontanel
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: orifice, opening, porta
Narrower terms: anterior fontanelle, sphenoid fontanelle, sphenoid fontanel, sphenoidal fontanelle, sphenoidal fontanel
noun
Meaning 6
a sentimental affection
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- she had a soft spot for her youngest son
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: affection, affectionateness, fondness, tenderness, heart, warmness, warmheartedness, philia
History
Etymology
Late 18th c.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: слабост (slabost) — sentimental fondness or affection
- Bulgarian: слабо място (slabo mjasto) — sentimental fondness or affection
- Chinese Mandarin: 眷戀 /眷恋 (juànliàn) — sentimental fondness or affection
- Finnish: lukkarinrakkaus — sentimental fondness or affection
- French: faible — sentimental fondness or affection
- German: Faible — sentimental fondness or affection
- German: Schwäche — sentimental fondness or affection
- Icelandic: veikleiki — sentimental fondness or affection
- Italian: debole — sentimental fondness or affection
- Polish: czułe miejsce — sentimental fondness or affection
- Russian: сла́бость (slábostʹ) — sentimental fondness or affection
- Spanish: debilidad — sentimental fondness or affection
- Ukrainian: сла́бкість (slábkistʹ) — sentimental fondness or affection
- Bulgarian: уязвимост (ujazvimost) — point of vulnerability
- Bulgarian: слабо място (slabo mjasto) — point of vulnerability
- Chinese Mandarin: 脆弱點 /脆弱点 (cuìruò diǎn) — point of vulnerability
- Chinese Mandarin: 弱點 /弱点 (ruòdiǎn) — point of vulnerability
- Finnish: heikko kohta — point of vulnerability
- Finnish: heikkous — point of vulnerability
- French: point faible — point of vulnerability
- German: Schwachstelle — point of vulnerability
- Icelandic: veikur punktur — point of vulnerability
- Icelandic: veikur blettur — point of vulnerability
- Icelandic: snöggur blettur — point of vulnerability
- Japanese: 弱点 (jakuten) — point of vulnerability
- Japanese: 弱み (yowami) — point of vulnerability
- Romanian: punct vulnerabil — point of vulnerability
- Russian: уязви́мое ме́сто (ujazvímoje mésto) — point of vulnerability
- Spanish: punto débil — point of vulnerability