Oxford’s Word of the Year
Language experts choosing the Oxford word of the year 2023 were dazzled by a bright young thing, selecting a relative newcomer, “rizz,” for the top spot.
Some might consider AI, or artificial intelligence, as “the” word of 2023, while Merriam-Webster went with “authentic” and Oxford University Press named “rizz,” a riff on charisma.
Derived from the word “charisma,” “rizz” refers to a person’s ability to attract a romantic partner through “style, charm or attractiveness,” dictionary publisher Oxford University Press (OUP) said in its announcement Monday. The word received more than 32,000 votes from the public.
“Rizz” soared in popularity earlier this year, after Spider-Man actor Tom Holland was asked by Buzzfeed what the secret to his rizz was. His answer? “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.”
The publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary added that the word can also be used as a verb, in the phrase “rizz up,” meaning to attract or chat up a person.