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Rizz is the word of the year, at least according to Oxford University Press.
Monday, the academic publisher announced their selection for 2023, defining the ubiquitous noun as follows:
“style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner”
The word, which Complex made the subject of a deep-dive back back in December 2022, lands the title following more than 32,000 votes, though there were others in contention throughout the process. Per Oxford’s team of language experts, the use of “rizz” hit a peak in June of this year after Tom Holland was asked about his own level of rizz in a viral interview.
Other finalists that ultimately did not land the word of the year distinction include "prompt," "situationship," and "Swiftie." Meanwhile, the shortlist also had "beige flag," 'de-influencing," "parasocial," and "heat dome" in the mix.
“Rizz,” of course, was widely popularized by popular streaming personality Kai Cenat, who later said in a No Jumper interview that the term was ultimately “butchered” by TikTok.
In a 360 With Speedy Morman chat in June, as seen above, Cenat was asked about the origins of rizz, with the Twitch star pushing back against claims that the word was merely short for "charisma." Notably, Oxford included the charisma shorthand argument in their word of the year announcement on Monday.
Rizz pairs nicely with Merriam-Webster's recently revealed selection for 2023's word of the year, "authentic."
