arm candy

American  

Slang.

1. a very attractive person who accompanies someone on a date, as at a public event, but is not romantically involved with that person.

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Etymology

Origin of arm candy

1990–95

Example Sentences

I was recently in New Orleans, where I was on a walking tour with a woman and her husband; he was wearing a T-shirt that read, "It's not easy being my wife's arm candy."

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2023

The music informed fashion and movies and defined how Generation X presented itself; it also moved rock away from hair metal’s depiction of women as bikini-clad arm candy.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2021

If I’d known I was just arm candy I’d have expected better birthday presents.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2020

Kristoff and an oily prince called Hans yap about, gesturing at being the hero, before winding up as arm candy for Anna, an irrelevance to Elsa.

From The Guardian • Nov. 9, 2019

They have been treated like fakes and posers and interlopers and arm candy.

From The Verge • Dec. 21, 2017