Monitoring Desk
LONDON: Are you aware of the Oxford University Press’ (OUP) word of the year 2023?
Here it is – “rizz”.
Now, the next thing those of you having an interest in words or flair for language will do is look up the word in the dictionary.
Rizz, according to information on social media, is a slang word for romantic appeal and chosen among eight words reflecting the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of 2023. And these words are primarily used by young people.
A media report says the list was voted on by the public before the Oxford lexicographers made the final decision. The other contenders include “swiftie”, “beige flag”, and “situationship”.
Let’s come back to rizz.
“The word might not mean anything to you if you do not belong to Gen Z but it was used massively online, with billions of views of the hashtag “rizz” on TikTok,” reports a foreign media outlet.
According to the Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, it is defined as style, charm, or attractiveness, and the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.
Rizz, a shortened form of the word “charisma,” is a verb which means to attract, seduce, or chat someone up. It is a newer version of “game,” referring to skill and prowess.
Kai Cenat, a YouTuber and Twitch streamer, is credited with having popularised the term with his friends. This year, the word’s usage increased, with actor Tom Holland discussing the secret to his rizz in June with Buzzfeed.
Holland replied: “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz,” before explaining he won over his girlfriend Zendaya by playing the “long game”.
Furthermore, Oxford’s word of the year 2022 was “goblin mode”, another slang term describing “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” behaviour.
Casper Grathwohl, president at Oxford Languages, said “while ‘goblin mode’ had resonated with many people after the pandemic, it’s interesting to see a contrasting word like rizz come to the forefront”.
In November last, Collins Dictionary’s word of 2023 was “artificial intelligence”.
