‘Rizz’ is the word of the year for the Oxford University Press. Here’s what the Gen Z term means

Madison Selcho
·3 min read
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British actor Tom Holland takes a selfie with spectators during the premiere of the film: “In the Heart of the Sea,” in Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 3, 2015.
British actor Tom Holland takes a selfie with spectators during the premiere of the film: “In the Heart of the Sea,” in Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 3, 2015. | Abraham Caro Marin, Associated Press

Although the word “rizz” was a closer runner-up for Merriam-Webster’s word of the year, the Oxford University Press named the Gen Z slang term as its Word of the Year for 2023.

Oxford Languages, the extension of the Oxford University Press that reportedly picks the Word of the Year, explained the word “rizz” as a slang word that refers to a person’s “ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.”

The Washington Post reported that the term was chosen from a list of eight terms by experts who made the decision from a popular vote.

The list consisted of terms that “reflect humanity’s array of moods, interests and concerns this year” with a few of the other words under consideration being, “Swiftie,” “beige flag” and “situationship.”

Related

What is the meaning of Rizz?

The New York Times reported that Spiderman actor Tom Holland said the word while answering a question in an online interview with Buzzfeed this year.

“I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz,” Holland said.

Related

Why is Rizz the word of the year?

Some of the other word finalists/shortlist terms that haven’t been mentioned so far in this article are:

  • Prompt: “an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content in generates.”

  • De-influencing: “the practice of discouraging people from buying particular products, or of encouraging people to reduce their consumption of material goods, esp. via social media.”

  • Heat dome: “a persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area, which traps a mass of hot air below it.”

  • Parasocial: “designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, or follower for a well-known or prominent figure.”

President of Oxford Languages, Casper Grathwohl said the reasoning behind choosing the word was to be a reflection of the changes in language the world is seeing in the most recent year.

“One of the reasons it’s moving from being a niche social media phrase into the mainstrem is, it’s just fun to say,” Grathwohl told the Times. “When it comes off your tongue, there’s a little bit of joy that comes with it.”

ABC News reported that the Oxford University Press explained that this word is evidence of younger generations making their own changes to language, “from activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language.”