Oxford Word of the Year 2023 is "Rizz," the ability to attract a romantic partner
Dec 04, 2023
London [UK], December 4 : The Oxford Word of the Year for 2023 has been crowned, and this time, it's a charismatic newcomer taking the spotlight. "Rizz," derived from the term "charisma," has claimed the top spot, defined by Oxford University Press (OUP) as a person's ability to attract a romantic partner through style, charm, or attractiveness, CNN reported.
This vibrant term garnered over 32,000 votes from the public, according to OUP's announcement on Monday.
The word gained popularity earlier this year when Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, in response to a Buzzfeed query about his secret to charisma, stated, "I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz," according to CNN.
The Oxford English Dictionary's publisher noted that "rizz" can also function as a verb, as seen in the phrase "rizz up," indicating the act of attracting or engaging in conversation with a person.
While contenders for Word of the Year do not necessarily have to be newly coined terms, they must hold significance to the year at hand. OUP's shortlist for 2023 aimed to capture the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of the year.
The selection process involved shortlisting eight words, which were presented in competing pairs for public voting. From the resulting four finalists, experts conducted a final analysis, ultimately declaring "rizz" as the winner.
The other three finalists were "prompt," denoting instructions given to an artificial intelligence programme influencing its content creation; "situationship," describing a romantic partnership without formal establishment; and "Swiftie," identifying an avid fan of singer Taylor Swift.
In 2022, Oxford's Word of the Year was "goblin mode," a colloquial term embodying unapologetically lazy behaviour that rejects social norms, CNN reported.
