The word ‘Rizz’ has been named as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2023.
According to the Oxford University Press (OUP), which publishes the Oxford Dictionary, the word peaked when Spiderman actor, Tom Holland, was asked about his rizz in an interview in June.
He responded with “I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz.”
The word used mainly by Gen Z could mean style, charm or attractiveness. It can also be said to mean one’s ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.
The term is thought to be a shortened form of the word “charisma”, taken from the middle part of the word. Identical instances of this include refrigerator becoming fridge; influenza generally referred to as flu.
It can also be used as a verb, in sayings such as “to rizz up”, which means to attract, seduce, or chat someone up.
LEADERSHIP recalls that last year, the slang term ‘goblin mode’, which is defined as a type of behaviour, which is unapologetically self-indulgent or lazy, was chosen as Oxford’s 2022 word of the year.