'Rizz' Is Oxford's 2023 Word of the Year – Here's What it Means - PEOPLE - Dictionary

Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year is “rizz.”

Dictionary publisher Oxford University Press defines the viral term, which is short for charisma, as “someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness.”

"Rizz" can also be used as a verb, most commonly in the phrase “rizz up,” which, similarly to "chat up," means “to attract, seduce, or chat up (a person),” per Oxford.

Another popular iteration of the word is “rizzler,” a title given to individuals who, well, possess a lot of "rizz." The term was even included in a viral song parody, which features the lyrics: “Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler / You’re so skibidi / You’re so Fanum tax."

Oxford's Word of the Year 2023 — which was selected by a team of language experts and more than 32,000 votes — has become a staple of Gen-Z- and Gen-Alpha slang since it was first coined.

"Rizz" even received the Merriam-Webster stamp of approval in September, becoming one of 690 new words to get added to the renowned dictionary.

Use of the word "rizz" peaked in June 2023 when Tom Holland said he had "no need" for it while discussing his relationship with Zendaya.

Cindy Ord/Getty

According to the Oxford Dictionary, use of the word has increased dramatically this year — and in June, Tom Holland even fielded a question about the "secret" of his "rizz" in a BuzzFeed interview.

Holland, 27, responded by saying that he has “no need for rizz” because he is “happy and in love” with girlfriend Zendaya.

“I have no rizz whatsoever," he said.

Other stars who have weighed in on the word include Tom Hanks and George Clooney, who both declared that “if you claim to have rizz, you don’t have rizz,” on BBC's The One Show on Monday. “It’s gotta be placed upon you,” Hanks, 67, added.

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In order to snag the top spot, rizz had to beat out several other words, and the top finalists were “prompt,” “situationship” and “Swiftie.”

The Oxford Dictionary defined "prompt," which was considered for its relevance to AI, as “an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content it generates.”

Popularized by social media and dating shows, "situationship" merges “situation" and “relationship” to refer to “a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.” It was considered because it “captures the uncertainty and lack of formalization that many people feel about their relationships.”

The last finalist, "Swiftie," is a title reserved for only the most “enthusiastic” fans of Taylor Swift — who topped PEOPLE's 2023 Most Intriguing People of the Year list.

 Other Word of the Year runners-up included “beige flag,” “de-influencing,” “heat dome” and “parasocial.”

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