What started as an online joke has now been recognized as Oxford University Press’s word of the year, showing that Gen Z had enough “rizz” to make an impact on the last year.
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Rizz, a colloquial noun, is defined as “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.”
The word has blown up over the past year, with younger generations very quickly making it a part of their everyday vernacular, whether it be talking about their dating lives or making jokes amongst friends.
The word is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma and is also used as a verb, as in to “rizz up,” or flirt with someone, according to Oxford Press.
TikTok has, in part, helped with the popularity of the word, as millions of videos have been made on the platform revolving around the word.
Oxford Press had four finalists for its word of the year, with the public voting on the eventual winner.
Other finalists that were beaten out by rizz include “Swiftie,” defined as an enthusiastic fan of Taylor Swift; “situationship,” which means an informal romantic or sexual relationship; and “prompt,” defined as an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program.
Merriam-Webster released its word of the year finalists last week, selecting “authentic” as the defining word of 2023.
However, rizz has so much power that it was also one of Merriam-Webster’s finalists for the top word honors.
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