soft spot

/sɔft spɑt/

Other forms: soft spots

A soft spot is a particularly strong feeling of tenderness for something or someone. It may be more common to have a soft spot for puppies, but it's fine if your soft spot is for stingrays.

A slightly different kind of soft spot is a vulnerability or weakness, especially something that an opponent might take advantage of. And a baby's soft spot has another meaning altogether—it's the vulnerable area on top of her tiny head, where the skull hasn't yet grown together, also known as the fontanelle. This soft spot allows the brain of a baby human to continue growing after birth.

Definitions of soft spot

1. noun

   a sentimental affection
   “she had a soft spot for her youngest son”

   type of:

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

   a positive feeling of liking
2. noun

   a place of especial vulnerability
   synonyms: weak part, weak spot

   types:

   Achilles' heel

   a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness

   jugular

   a vital part that is vulnerable to attack

   underbelly

   the quality of being weak or unprotected

   type of:

   weakness

   the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain
3. noun

   any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus
   synonyms: fontanel, fontanelle

   types:

   anterior fontanelle

   corresponds to the bregma when bones have ossified

   sphenoid fontanel, sphenoid fontanelle, sphenoidal fontanel, sphenoidal fontanelle

   the irregularly shaped area on either side of the cranium where the frontal bone and the anterior tip of the parietal bone and the temporal bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone meet; corresponds to the pterion when bones have ossified

   type of:

   opening, orifice, porta

   an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity