“Rizz” – Gen Z slang for “style, charm, or attractiveness,” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner” – has been named Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2023. This term was chosen from a list of eight words that each reflected the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of 2023. According to The New York Times, Oxford lexicographers made the final decision after a public vote narrowed the options.
Swiftie, Beige Flag, situationship, prompt, and de-influencing were also contenders. According to Oxford, the word “Rizz” was first recorded in 2022. It went viral in June, however, after actor Tom Holland said in an interview with Buzzfeed, “I have no rizz whatsoever; I have limited rizz.”
Soon after his statement, the internet was inundated with memes. The president of Oxford Languages, Casper Grathwohl, stated, “This year’s choice reflects the way social media has exponentially accelerated language change.”
“One of the reasons it’s transitioning from being a niche social media phrase into the mainstream is that it’s just fun to say,” he added. “When it rolls off your tongue, there’s a little bit of joy that comes with it.”
Usage of the words “rizz”
The term can also be used as a verb, as in “to rizz up,” which refers to the act of attracting, seducing, or conversing with someone.
It is essentially a modernized version of the “game,” distinguished by skill, prowess, and the ability to sexually attract others through charm.
The Oxford Word of the Year was determined entirely by the public last year for the first time in its history, with nearly 400,000 people participating in the discussion on social media. Goblin Mode was declared the winner with an overwhelming 93 percent of the overall vote.
‘Goblin mode,’ ‘vax,’ ‘climate emergency,’ and ‘toxic’ are among the last five Oxford Words of the Year.
For the first time, Oxford did not name a Word of the Year in 2020, describing it as “a year that cannot be neatly accommodated in one single word.” Instead, from “unmute” to “mail-in,” and from “coronavirus” to “lockdown,” the encyclopedia has announced its “words of a ‘unprecedented’ year.”