Other contenders included Swiftie, Beige flag, situationship, prompt, de-influencing.
“Rizz” – Gen Z slang for “style, charm, or attractiveness,” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner” – has been named Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year. This term was chosen from a shortlist of eight words, each selected to reflect the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of 2023. The final decision was made by Oxford lexicographers after a public vote narrowed down the options, as reported by The New York Times.
Other contenders included Swiftie, Beige flag, situationship, prompt, and de-influencing. The word “Rizz” was first recorded in 2022, according to Oxford. However, it went viral in June after actor Tom Holland, in an interview with Buzzfeed, said, “I have no rizz whatsoever; I have limited rizz.”
Soon after his statement, a barrage of memes surfaced on the internet. Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages, the dictionary division, said, “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.”
The term can also function as a verb, as seen in expressions like “to rizz up,” indicating the act of attracting, seducing, or engaging in conversation with someone.
Essentially, it represents a modernized iteration of “game,” characterized by skill, prowess, and the ability to sexually attract others through charm.
Last year marked the first time in its history that the Oxford Word of the Year was determined entirely by the public, with almost 400,000 people on social media participating in the discussion. Goblin Mode emerged as the winner with an overwhelming 93 percent of the overall vote.
‘Goblin mode,’ ‘vax,’ ‘climate emergency,’ and ‘toxic’ are among the Oxford Words of the Year chosen in the last five years.
In 2020, Oxford, for the first time, chose not to name a Word of the Year, describing 2020 as “a year that cannot be neatly accommodated in one single word.” Instead, from “unmute” to “mail-in,” and from “coronavirus” to “lockdown,” the eminent reference work has announced its “words of an ‘unprecedented’ year.”