“Rizz”, slang for romantic appeal, is Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year
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Rizz, a slang term for romantic appeal used by Generation Z, has been crowned the Oxford word of 2023.
Defined as the ability to attract a sexual partner through style, charm, or attractiveness, the word is associated with younger generations and emerged through gaming and internet culture.
Oxford lexicographers said the word, which was made popular through social media, perhaps captured the “prevailing mood” of the year as people open themselves up following challenges posed by the pandemic.
Rizz, understood to derive from the word “charisma”, was initially listed on a eight-word shortlist selected by the Oxford University Press (OUP) as the best terms to reflect the mood, ethos or preoccupations of 2023.
Often used as a hashtag on video-sharing app TikTok, the word was pushed into the mainstream earlier this year when Spider-Man actor Tom Holland told Buzzfeed: “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.”
A public vote narrowed down the list to four finalists, rizz, Swiftie, prompt and situationship, before lexicographers made the final decision.
The OUP said rizz was an “interesting example” of how language can be formed, shaped and shared within communities before being used more widely.
Previous Oxford words of the year include vax (2021), climate emergency (2019), and goblin mode, which was selected through a public vote for the first time in 2022.
Kai Cenat, a US YouTuber and live streamer, is reported to have first used rizz in 2021 as a word he claimed was frequently used by his social circle.
