'Rizz' Crowned as Oxford's Word of the Year for 2023

The Gen Z-popularized term, meaning the ability to attract or seduce, reflects the influence of younger generations and internet culture on language.

Oxford University Press has chosen 'rizz' as its 2023 Word of the Year. The term, popularized by Generation Z, is derived from 'charisma' and is used to describe someone's ability to attract or seduce another person.
The term 'rizz' gained significant attention in June when actor Tom Holland, in an interview with Buzzfeed, claimed he had 'no rizz whatsoever.' The term is often used in online spaces, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok.
'Rizz' was selected as the Word of the Year after a public vote narrowed down a list of eight words to four finalists. The other finalists were 'Swiftie', 'prompt', and 'situationship'.
The selection of 'rizz' as the Word of the Year reflects the influence of younger generations and internet culture on language. The term is seen as an example of how language can be formed, shaped, and shared within communities before being used more widely.
The Word of the Year is intended to reflect the 'mood, ethos, or preoccupations' of the year and have 'potential as a term of lasting cultural significance.'