Casper Grathwohl, director of dictionaries at Oxford Languages, says “rizz” refers to “the prevailing mood of 2023”.
Oxford University Press explains why it chose “rizz” as word of the year – Photo: ABC News
According to ABC News , Oxford University Press has named ” rizz ” its word of the year, highlighting the popularity of a term used by Gen Z to describe someone’s ability to attract or charm others.
Before that, the keyword “rizz” was widely used across social networks. The term is a shortened form of the word “charisma”, which means “attraction”.
Tom Holland makes ‘rizz’ popular
According to USA Today , “rizz” first appeared in 2022, but became widely popular in June 2023, after actor Tom Holland used the word to say he was unattractive in an interview with Buzzfeed.
Tom Holland is the reason “rizz” became famous – Photo: Skynews
Oxford University Press says “rizz” falls somewhere between the word charismatic and can be used as a verb to chat someone up.
The publisher explains the choice: “It represents how the younger generation creates spaces online or offline where they own and define the language used. Gen Z today has more of an impact on society, and their differences in perspective and lifestyle are also reflected in their language.”
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This year, Oxford invited the public to vote between four themed word pairs to select the word of the year 2023 .
The first theme related to celebrity culture included “Swiftie” (short for fans of singer Taylor Swift ) and “de-influencing”.
The second theme reflects personal traits including “rizz” (charming) and “biege-flag” (boring person).
The third theme relates to the changing world, including “prompt” and “heat dome.” The fourth theme relates to relationship types, including “parasocial” and “situationship.”
Casper Grathwohl, director of dictionaries at Oxford Languages, told the BBC that “rizz” refers to “the prevailing mood of 2023, where many of us are opening up and finding confidence in who we are after a challenging few years”.
“Rizz” is the popular mood of 2023 – Photo: Leadership News
Grathwohl also said the rise in use of the word “rizz” shows that words from internet culture are becoming part of everyday vernacular.
Last year, the term “Goblin mode” won Oxford ‘s word of the year for 2022. Oxford describes it as a type of behavior where someone is “self-indulgent, lazy, careless, or greedy, rejecting social norms or expectations.”
