Rizz was named as the Oxford University Press word of the year for 2023. Months later, the term is still driving an influx of Google search, largely for people searching for its meaning.
Rizz's increased use within the British lexicon is at the hands (more specifically, mouth) of Tom Holland, who dropped the word in an interview last summer. From then on, rizz caught on and gathered pace. You're now likely to hear anyone from your colleague, your Hinge date or your favourite Love Islander talking about rizz.
Want to discover how you can incorporate rizz into your lingo? Do you need clarification on its definition, or just want to know more about how it came to be the prestigious word of the year 2023? Well, we have the answers for you.
What does rizz mean?
Oxford University Press define the colloquial noun rizz as the following: style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.
Rizz is thought to be a shortened version of the word charisma. Taking the middle part of a word to create a condensed term is quite rare, with examples including flu, from influenza, and fridge, from refrigerator.
Its use is not limited to nouns. You can use the term 'rizz up' as a verb, which means ‘to attract, seduce, or chat up (a person)’.
What is an example of rizz?
Providing an all-encompassing example of 'rizz' is difficult as it's an arguably subjective term. There's no doubt plenty of people on Love Island All Stars who talk about 'forbidden rizz' think they have it in abundance, when they are sadly mistaken.
When you consider 'mad rizz', 'accidental rizz', 'forbidden rizz' and all the other endless variations of rizz, it's hard to pin point exactly what it looks like. Let's say Joey Tribbiani in Friends and Will Smith in Hitch have 'rizz', Paul Mescal and Jacob Elordi have 'mad rizz', while people like Michael Cera, Declan Donnelly and Ross from The Traitors have 'accidental rizz'.
How do you pronounce rizz?
Rizz is spelt phonetically, meaning it's pronounced ri-zz. It sounds like the 'ris' in 'charisma'.
Is rizz in the Oxford Dictionary?
At this moment in time, rizz is not listed in the Oxford English Dictionary. However, it is already cropping up on other dictionary sites, such as Merriam-Webster.
There is no guarantee that rizz, or any of the other shortlisted words, will end up listed in the dictionary.
How was rizz selected as the word of the year 2023?
Oxford University Press created a shortlist of eight words which reflected the 'mood, ethos, or preoccupations of the past year'.
The public voted in a head-to-head competition, choosing between, Swiftie vs. de-influencing, beige flag vs. rizz, heat dome vs. prompt and parasocial vs. situationship. The four finalists were rizz, Swiftie, prompt, and situationship.
Then, a series of language experts considered three factors - the data, the vote counts, and the public commentary around the words - to determine the word of the year 2023.
'The spike in usage data for rizz goes to prove that words and phrases that evolve from internet culture are increasingly becoming part of day-to-day vernacular and will continue to shape language trends in the future,' said Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages.
How did Tom Holland use the word rizz?
In June, British actor Tom Holland said in an interview, 'I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz. My brother Paddy has ultimate rizz. I don't know. I need you to fall in love with me really for it to work.'
We bet his long-term girlfriend Zendaya would beg to differ on the limited rizz front, and fans felt the same.
Underneath the video clip, one viewer questioned, 'Did anyone tell him that rizz is short for charisma? He's got plenty of that! It's so freaking cute how devoted he is to Zendaya.'
Is rizz Gen Z slang?
Since rizz has been named the word of the year 2023, it has been consistently referred to as Gen Z slang.
Gen Z is used to describe the generation born between the late 1990s and early 2000s, meaning people in this bracket are more likely to use the word rizz.
That's not to say it hasn't been adopted by other generations, just that it's more prevalent within Gen Z.
How does Urban Dictionary define rizz?
You can always rely on Urban Dictionary for a crude definition. They define rizz as, 'another word for spitting game/how good you are with pulling and sustaining b*tches.'
Charming.
What is a rizz God or a rizz goblin?
According to Urban Dictionary, to be a rizz God is 'to be one with the ability to spit immense game with ease towards a female and make them fall into a charm over you'. Meanwhile, a rizz goblin is defined as someone 'able to pull hella h*es with no green'. Not to be confused, of course, with 'goblin mode', which is a slang term for a way of behaving that 'intentionally and shamelessly gives in to and indulges in base habits and activities without regard for adhering to social norms or expectations'.
What is a beige flag?
According to Oxford University Press, a beige flag is 'a character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality; (also) a trait or habit, esp. of a partner or potential partner, viewed as extremely characteristic, but not distinctly good or bad.'
What is a situationship?
A situationship is used to describe 'a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.'
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.