I recently told you about Merriam-Webster’s choice for the 2023 word of the year, “authentic,” and now it’s Oxford’s turn. Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has announced their word of the year, “rizz.”
The relatively new slang term is derived from the word “charisma” and Oxford defines it as “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.” “Rizz” received more than 32-thousand votes and it was also one of Merriam-Webster’s top words of 2023. This definition of “rizz” is a noun, but the publisher notes that it can also be used as a verb, like in the phrase “rizz up,” which means to attract or chat up a person.
The term went viral earlier this year after actor Tom Holland was asked by Buzzfeed what the secret to his rizz was and he replied, “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.” It beats out other finalists for Oxford’s word of the year including “Swiftie,” “beige flag,” “situationship” and “de-influencing.”
Source: CNN
Scott's Thoughts:
- If there was ever a year for “Swiftie” to be the word of the year, this was it!
- Does this mean older people like me are going to start using “rizz” now? Unless it’s a teen saying it, it sounds pretty cringey.
- I think we have enough words. Back in my day we only had half the words of today! Dang kids!