Word.ws English Dictionary

arm candy

Syllables: arm can·dy

arm candy noun: an attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public solely so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

Noun

arm candy (uncountable)

  1. (idiomatic) An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public solely so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.
    • All About Eve (1950, FoxVideo). [Marilyn Monroe had] already had mini-roles in eight movies when she turned up as George Sanders' arm candy in the party scenes of this film.1992 August 21, Marcia Froelke Coburn, “Marilyn’s enduring appeal”, in Chicago Tribune, archived from the original on 04 Mar 2016
    • Friends described her as always ready to serve as "arm candy"—that is, a pretty date—to industry players, in hopes of landing a role.2003 February 17, Jeffrey Ressner, “Shot on location”, in Time, archived from the original on 17 Apr 2016
    Synonyms:
    armpiece
  2. (rare) A luxury wristwatch or some other accessory worn on the wrist.
    • Beyond just looking the part, this arm candy is a world-class piece of technology.2016 March, “Do You”, in Ebony, page 50
    • Rack up your arm candy with this schmancy bangle, watch, and bracelet set from Anne Klein.2024 October 8, Megan Uy, Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien, “65+ Fall Prime Day Fashion Deals Your Closet Is Begging You to Shop”, in Cosmopolitan

Synonyms of arm candy

Origin of arm candy

Presumably derived from eye candy. The term has been attested in the US since 1992.

Questions about arm candy

What does arm candy mean?
Arm candy means an attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public solely so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.
What part of speech is arm candy?
Arm candy is a noun.

Words near arm candy in the dictionary

  1. arm
  2. arm ball
  3. arm balls
  4. arm bone
  5. arm bones
  6. arm candy
  7. arm day
  8. arm days
  9. arm garter
  10. arm garters
  11. arm guard

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: arm candy (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-arm candy.ogg.

Cite this entry: “arm candy.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/arm_candy. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.