Rizz (/ˈrɪz/ ⓘ) is an internet slang word defined as style, charm, or attractiveness. It is likely short for charisma, and is often associated with brain rot.
Background
The phrase was popularized by American YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat in mid-2021, with it being used among his friend group long before.[1] It subsequently garnered virality on the social media application TikTok.[2] Oxford University Press named rizz its word of the year for 2023.[3]
Rizz is a colloquial noun, used when describing possession of charisma. As a verb, rizz can be used to describe using charisma to attract someone, as to "rizz up" a person.[4][3] It is believed that the second syllable of the word charisma was taken from it to create the word rizz, though this belief is not universal.[5] Oxford University Press described this formation pattern for a word as "unusual"; however, this formation pattern can be seen in the shortening of words such as refrigerator (fridge), and influenza (flu).[4]
Popularity
The word is mainly used by Generation Z,[6] though it has attracted significant use from Generation Alpha as well.[7] Further development of the word "rizz" includes "Rizzler" or "Rizz God",[8] meaning highly charismatic, and "Unspoken Rizz", meaning a person's ability to attract a person without speaking.[9]
Cenat stated in an interview on the No Jumper podcast that after the word went viral on TikTok he stopped using it himself, stating that the viral use on TikTok "butchered" the word.[10] The term went further viral in June 2023, after actor Tom Holland explained in an interview with BuzzFeed that he possessed "limited rizz" and it was by playing the "long game" that helped to win over his girlfriend, actress Zendaya. From this, a number of memes were created.[11] Rizz was named the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Year for 2023.[12][13]
See also
- Glossary of Generation Z slang
- Gyatt – another slang term popularized by Cenat
- The Rizzler – a social media personality known for his "rizz face"
- Skibidi Toilet
References
- ^ "Kai Cenat Explains Making Money on Twitch, Lil Uzi Video & iShowSpeed Friendship". Youtube. July 17, 2023.
- ^ "Rizz – What does rizz mean?". slang.net. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rizz named word of the year 2023 by Oxford University Press". BBC News. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Heaton, Benedict (December 4, 2023). "Rizz crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023". Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/brad-callas/kai-cenat-whether-he-invented-term-rizz
- ^ "Word of the year 2023 is 'rizz' after Tom Holland interview fuelled rise in use – but what does the Oxford pick mean?". Sky News. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Kircher, Madison Malone (November 8, 2023). "Gen Alpha Is Here. Can You Understand Their Slang?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "How the slang term 'rizz' became an internet obsession that stumped boomers (and even zoomers)". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Hall, Vanessa (April 4, 2023). "All About 'Rizz' and What It Actually Means". Parade. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ "What does rizz mean, and do you have it? The Gen Z term storming TikTok". Yahoo Sports. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Khomami, Nadia (December 4, 2023). "Got rizz? Tom Holland memes propel popularity of 2023 word of the year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Heaton, Benedict (December 4, 2023). "Rizz crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023". Oxford University Press. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Rizz named word of the year 2023 by Oxford University Press". December 4, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
