Are you good at chatting people up and attracting romantic partners? If so, you’ve got rizz – even if you have no idea what it means.
The slang term, which became popular online, has been named Word of the Year for 2023 by the Oxford University Press.
Rizz is essentially short for “charisma” and means to have style, charm or attractiveness and the ability to attract romantic interest.
It was reportedly first recorded in 2022 but went viral in June when Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, right, told a news site: “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.”
Online usage of the term then surged, culminating in it winning the Oxford prize.
Other 2023 contenders included “Swiftie” – a fan of singer Taylor Swift – “deinfluencing” and “situationship”.
It was one of eight words on the final shortlist, all chosen to reflect the mood and preoccupations of 2023.
The list was narrowed down in a public vote before Oxford lexicographers made the final decision. Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages, said: “The spike in usage data for rizz goes to prove that words and phrases that evolve from internet culture are increasingly becoming part of day-to-day vernacular and will continue to shape language trends in the future.”
