trophy husband

On the analogy of trophy wife.

trophy husband (plural trophy husbands)

1. A husband, usually young and attractive, regarded as a status symbol for his spouse, usually older and affluent.

   Coordinate terms: trophy wife, trophy boyfriend, trophy girlfriend, trophy partner

   • 1998, Anthony Bruno, chapter 35, in Double Expresso, Tom Doherty Associates, page 242:

     “No wonder you’re attracted to Marvelli. A good-looking guy, at least ten years younger than you—what’s not to like? He’d make a good trophy husband. You could show him off at feebie cocktail parties in D.C.”

   • 1998, Robin Wells, chapter 11, in Nine-to-Five Bride, Silhouette Books, page 176:

     Kate was a forever kind of woman. She didn’t take love lightly, and she wouldn’t give it that way, either. She wasn’t a bimbo looking for a meal ticket or a trophy husband. She was the kindest, warmest, most decent human being he’d ever met, and she’d done everything in her power to try to win his heart.

   • 1999, Bob Sloan, chapter 21, in Bliss Jumps the Gun, Foul Play Press, page 194:

     "And how does Martin fit into the picture?"
     "Her trophy husband? He comes from a long line of bluebloods, but his father pissed away the family fortune. [...]"

   • 2006, Todd Alexander, chapter 4, in Pictures of Us, Hachette Australia, pages 106-107:

     They shared intimate conversations and Elijah had become accustomed to his new lifestyle just as Madame Froideur was increasingly proud of the trophy husband she flamboyantly paraded around her social scene.

   • 2015, Kevin Kwan, chapter 15, in China Rich Girlfriend, Doubleday, page 265:

     “It’s a long story, but it basically boiled down to the fact that Michael was having a hard time coping with the power dynamic in our marriage. Even though I tried my best to be supportive, he felt emasculated by...you know, the whole money thing. He felt like a trophy husband, and the way my family treated him wasn’t helping much either.”

• social handbag
• arm candy

• “trophy husband”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.