THE Oxford University Press (OUP) has declared “rizz” to be this year’s word of the year on Dec 4, 2023.
It was one of eight terms selected from a shortlist to represent and capture the attitude, focus, or obsessions of 2023.
Following a public vote to reduce the list, Oxford’s linguists made the ultimate selection.
‘Goblin mode’ was the OUP’s 2022 Word of the Year last year, chosen because it encapsulated the post-pandemic mindset of the populace.
“Unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” was the description given to this expression.
Thus, “rizz,“ this year’s word of the year, appears to have its roots in both Generation Z and Generation A.
The AOP states that “rizz” is thought to have sprung from the word “charisma”.
Derived from the central portion of the term, it characterises an individual’s capacity to draw in or captivate another individual. However, the word can also be used as a verb, as in “rizz up”—to strike up a conversation.
The OUP also revealed that “rizz” represents Gen Z’s increasing societal dominance.
“It speaks to how younger generations now have spaces, online or otherwise, to own and define the language they use,“ according to the OUP.
Another use of the term “rizz” in popular culture occurred when Tom Holland from The Spider-Man: No Way Home claimed to have “no rizz whatsoever” and explained that he won girlfriend Zendaya over by using the “long game.”