December 11th 2023.
Rizz, the word chosen by the venerable Oxford University Press as the word of the year, acknowledges the growing influence of Generation Z and social media on language and usage. The slang term, which can mean “style, charm or attractiveness” or the “ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner”, is believed to have been derived from the word charisma. It gained traction after Tom Holland’s interview, in which he stated he had “no rizz whatsoever”, went viral spawning a multitude of memes. This made OUP take notice of its increasing popularity and use as a verb. It beat out words such as Swiftie, situationship, and prompt.
Words of the year often reflect the world’s mood. In 2020, the word of the year was “goblin mode”, a phrase that described behaviour that was self-indulgent, lazy or greedy. It was a reflection of the year when people were stuck in self-isolation due to the Covid pandemic. In 2021, it was “vax”, due to the controversies surrounding Covid vaccines. In 2019, it was “climate emergency”, due to the threat of global warming. Words like “selfie” and “post-truth” have become a part of the common vernacular. A single word can convey a great deal of meaning and typify an era. This is why the choice of “rizz” as the word of the year carries a lot of significance.
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